I TOOK MY
BUSINESS SKILLS
TO A NEW LEVEL.
I’M A FRANCHISEE.
THIS IS MY MCDONALD’S.

‘McDonald’s is a special business to be part of.
Not only is it an iconic brand, but you’re supported in
lots of ways with running your franchise. By having
access to all the resources you’d expect from a global
brand – from marketing to recruitment, I’ve really been
able to bring my own business vision to life.’
Hubs, Franchisee in North London

Give your franchise business
a firm foundation
Our support for your franchise business goes beyond ďŹ nance.
We can connect you with the right people, with the right
knowledge, to boost your franchise business and help it grow.
Search: NatWest Franchising

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06/12/2018
04/06/2018 20:06
17:31

ELITE FRANCHISE
100 100
ELITE
FRANCHISE

Another year down. That means it’s been a whole 12 months since

the grand unveiling of the debut Elite Franchise 100 2018. And you know
what? We’ve only gone and done it all over again for 2019.
In 2018, we had a clear goal: to fly the flag for franchising finesse in the
UK. And fly it we did, as the top 100 British franchisors from all corners
of the country operating in infinite industries – from fitness to finance,
housekeeping to healthcare, tutoring to transport and everything inbetween – received the recognition they deserved.
But why was the Elite Franchise 100 such an important undertaking?
You need only look at the 2015 bfa/NatWest franchise survey, which
revealed the £15.1bn contribution the franchising sector generates for
the UK economy. That’s a 46% increase over ten years, which highlights
the increasing impact the market has had on the nation.
Naturally, getting to that stage has by no means been a straight
path but more of an off-roading experience for many leaders. At Elite
Franchise, we as a team are often spoilt for choice when it comes to
highlighting the country’s vibrant franchises. But speaking with those at
the helm of such networks as the editor of Elite Franchise, I can say that
for all of the challenges they’ve faced, their passion, determination and
vision have shone through and been pivotal to persevere.
Indeed, the judging process wasn’t just about franchisor financials and
scale but the support that’s provided to those in the network and the
benefits for the communities in which they operate to really get to the
heart of what the operations represent. And it’s fair to say that those
businesses on the Elite Franchise 100 2019 ranking are truly exemplary
– not just for the franchise scene but the UK entrepreneurial landscape
overall.
The rundown features some familiar faces that have been beating
the franchise drum for years, effortlessly showcasing the longevity the
industry offers. Elsewhere, we’ve seen plenty of newcomers enter the
fray to make their presence felt this year, which is equally as important
to show that there’s still a wealth of opportunities to be capitalised on.
With a new year upon us, I want to say a massive thank you to my team
on this end for putting so much work into getting the Elite Franchise 100
produced, as well as an enormous congratulations to our class of 2019.
Onwards and upwards,
Zen Terrelonge
Editor, Elite Franchise

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ELITE FRANCHISE
100
ELITE FRANCHISE
100

TO THE

TOP 100

FRANCHISES
FOR

2019
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sponsors
uk.businessesforsale.com/uk
2

0

1

9

SUPPORTED BY:

BusinessesForSale.com is the
largest database of business
buyers, businesses and
business intermediaries in the
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The company will ensure your
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https://www.business.natwest.com/
NatWest is delighted to be involved
in the Franchise 100 for 2019 and look
forward to seeing what the judging
panel consider to be the best in class
for the year
Mark Scott ACIB QFP, Franchise
development manager, NatWest &
RBS Franchise Team

partners

www.franchisesales.co.uk

We’re very excited to be
pairing our brand with Elite
Franchise 100. Elite Franchise is
known for it’s high-quality and
informative content and if this
is to be transferred to the new

Elite Franchise is the definitive publication for
the franchising sector. This monthly magazine
is full to the brim with news and features for
franchisors and franchisees alike. Whether you
are firmly established in the franchise universe

08

annual guide celebrating the
top franchises then this should
be really be a treat for the UK
franchise industry.
Rufus Bazley, marketing
director, Franchisesales.com

or just taking your first tentative steps into
it, our team of experienced journalists and
industry columnists will ensure your own
franchise story is a successful one. From
interviews with the likes of Anytime Fitness’
Chuck Runyon and Monkey Music’s Angie
Coates to advice on funding your franchise,
we’ve got it covered.

judges

CLIVE SAWYER
Managing director,
Business Options

Clive Sawyer is the founder and managing director of Business Options.
Business Options is one of the UK’s leading franchise and businessexpansion consultancies providing help, advice and support to companies
looking to expand their business through franchising and, if not, find
appropriate alternative expansion models such as licensing, distributorships
or agencies. Sawyer has written three books on franchising: How to
Franchise Your Business, 20 Most Asked Questions in Franchising and The
Essential Women’s Guide to Buying a Franchise, all of which are available on
Amazon and through the bfa’s bookstore.

PAUL CLEGG
Managing director,
Coconut Creatives

Having been involved in franchising for over 12 years, Paul Clegg is more
than qualified to rejoin the Elite Franchise 100 judging panel. He has become
a voice of authority through the franchises he has worked with, both in the
past and as managing director of Coconut Creatives. Clegg’s opinion is often
sought out as a recognised trusted, advisor for understanding franchising
challenges. In 2011, Clegg attained the bfa’s qualified franchise professional
title, in recognition of his professional knowledge

Author of The Startup Coach and The Franchising Handbook, Carl
Reader is a well-known small-business leader and expert as well as a
serial entrepreneur who regularly provides comment to the BBC, The
Guardian, The Mirror, the i paper and Forbes. He has a huge social media
following – in excess of 100,000 across different platforms – and also
is in the process of starring in his own upcoming TV show. He is widely
regarded as a leading business advisor specialising in startups and
small businesses and is in demand to speak internationally on a broad
range of business and management subjects. He is a highly successful
entrepreneur, heading up d&t, a multi-award winning accountancy firm.

Mark Scott joined NatWest, now part of the Royal Bank of Scotland
Group, in 1982 and has gained a wide range of experience within the small
business sector. Scott joined the NatWest Franchise section in 1998 as
senior franchise manager after which in 2005 he was appointed to the
board of the bfa. Given his franchise knowledge and expertise, Scott is
a regular speaker at various seminars for prospective franchisees and
franchisors, including the bfa. He was one of the first to gain the bfa’s
qualified franchise professional award.

FIONA BOSWELL QFP
Partner and Head of
the Franchise and
Commercial Law Team
Fraser Brown Solicitors

Fiona is a Partner and Head of the Franchise and Commercial Law Team
at Fraser Brown Solicitors. She is also the Midlands Regional Chair for
Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) where her services were
recently commended as she was awarded Service Provider of the Year 2018.
Fiona sits on the BFA External Relations Committee and is a British Franchise
Association (BFA) Qualified Franchise Professional. She is recognised in legal
directories as a recommended lawyer and leading individual in Franchising
and writes and speaks regularly on the topic for legal and industry
publications.

Recognising the tenacity and creativity franchisors have, as the editor of
the prestigious Elite Franchise, Zen Terrelonge uses his expert knowledge in
franchising to assess and ensure the entrants are all suitable and worthy.
The web editor of the Elite team, Eric Johansson knows the franchising
industry like the back of his hand and with his eye for detail, he made sure
the crème de la crème in the franchise market get their due recognition in
the Elite Franchise 100.
Please note: Judges are responsible for judging the shortlist of the top 15
candidates. The top 100 longlist is ranked internally by the Elite Franchise
team. Judges recused from judging any entries over which they may have a
conflict of interest.
09

12th year of trading. The company was started in
2005 by mother and daughter, Jan Massey and
Melanie Armstrong. After establishing a beautiful
business, a franchise system was developed and in 2008, the
franchise was launched.
Photography for Little People has a unique way of working
that’s flexible for its franchisees and offers clients a memorable
experience by providing them with beautiful, stunning images
and impressions of their little ones’ hands and feet, capturing
special moments forever. The impressions are of outstanding
quality, detailing every crease and line. All products are

produced by Photography for
Little People and are unique to the
franchise. It uses only the highest
quality of materials available and
has a wide range of products that
appeal to everyone.
A full range of frames, canvas,
impressions and impression
pieces combined with images
are available. The franchisor’s
products are all produced from the
highest quality materials. It has a
niche, ever-expanding market and
have grown and developed as a
company over time.
Its experience lies in teaching
photography and impression
taking, as well as setting up new
franchisees and helping them
build a strong, profitable business
on firm foundations. Excellent
customer service is at the heart of
all it does and it always remembers
what a privilege it is to meet and
work with little ones.
With low investment and
overheads, Photography for Little
People is an easy business to run
and can be operated from home
with short hours and high profits.
Everyone met in this business
is friendly and the working
environment is really enjoyable.

With a truly unique offering
that helps kids become
tomorrow’s tech superstars,
ComputerXplorers is a digital
franchise, which the Elite
Franchise 100 judges took note of
computerxplorers.co.uk

ComputerXplorers is the country’s leading

provider of computing, coding and programming
education for children aged three to 13. Its classes
are linked to the national curriculum throughout the
UK and, with over 200 pieces of curriculum, lesson plans and
parent updates, its range is comprehensive and the breadth of
its offering is substantial. Servicing after-school clubs, preschool and nurseries, summer camps and in-curriculum time
classes, each of ComputerXplorers territories include at least
300 primary schools and 300 pre-schools or nurseries.
Having no significant competition, ComputerXplorers is quite
unlike any other franchise and is ideal for people who want
to combine running their own business with raising a family.
Additionally, being a home-based management franchise, the
business benefits from low operational costs and high margins.

And franchisees don’t have
to be Mark Zuckerberg or Bill
Gates. Whilst ComputerXplorers
looks for candidates who are
confident with technology and
enthusiastic about its benefits,
franchisees recruited are trained
and managed by a team of people,
meaning they needn’t to be IT
experts. Instead, franchisees are
responsible for managing and
marketing the business, which
involves contacting and meeting
with professionals, including head
teachers, nursery owners and
holiday programme leaders.
ComputerXplorers is run by The
Bardon Group, which runs a stable
of four franchise companies and
has combined experience of over
70 years in franchising.
The company provides massive
ongoing support, from curriculum
development and business
planning to marketing and PR,
regular conference calls and
at least one annual network
meeting. On top of this, its
initial fee includes substantial
software licences, a bespoke
marketing launch programme, an
appointment-generating system,
a website, a laptop, marketing
material, training, manuals and a
licence to trade.
And the more the judges
learned the clearer it was that the
franchisor deserved its place on
the Elite Franchise 100 list.

12

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

98
Local
Assist

www.local-assist.co.uk

Local Assist is one of

the UK’s top property care
and repair companies,
specialising in emergency
insurance claim handling
and fulfilment.
Its reliable and trustworthy
24/7 callout service can
deal with all manner of
repairs, including broken
windows, leaking pipes and
boiler failure.
Franchisees receive
jobs from either website
enquiries or insurance
claims, both of which are

available via a job allocation
system. They then go out
to complete the works
plus any additional work
they may find that needs
doing also. It’s looking to
recruit experienced and
qualified tradespeople
across all trades that would
be involved in dealing with
domestic emergency works.
This includes plumbers,
gas engineers, glazers,
drainage technicians,
electricians, roofers,
plasterers, painters and
decorators, handy men and
women. The support earned
Local Assist a spot on the
Elite Franchise 100 2019 list.

Everything you
need to buy a pizza
delivery franchise.

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

ENCOURAGING WOMEN
INTO FRANCHISING

EWIF EDUCATES

WOMEN IN FRANCHISING
EWIF provides advice and guidance to women looking to enter the
world of franchising; either to franchise their business, or to start their
own business with the support of a franchise.

Looking to get into franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings and see
how we can help you!
“As always, EWIF events are a great chance to meet and ask questions
in a very supportive and informed arena. Thanks EWIF. ”
Jenny Williams - The Detective Project

Never train alone is the
ethos of Fitness Space.
As a service-orientated,
boutique offering, Fitness
Space differentiates itself
from the competition
through the supportive
environment it provides.
For example, every
member has a dedicated
fitness coach and
customised programme
available on a Fitness
Space app.
The flagship studio was
opened in Ascot, followed
by the first franchise-

97 96
Fitness Space

MagiKats

fitnessspace.com

magikats.co.uk/franchise

owned premises in
Hughenden Valley.
Since then the brand
has gone from strengthto-strength with over 28
studios open UK-wide.
Bulking up so fast certainly
helped Fitness Space
earn its spot on the Elite
Franchise 100 list.

New franchisees get

a chance to ignite their
passion for education with
a MagiKats maths and
English franchise. They
rediscover what it’s like to
be excited to get to work,
earn a good living and
make a difference to kids
in their local community.
So more than just a
business opportunity, this

95

Suit the City
suitfranchise.com

Since Carol Rawson and Sallie Belton

first launched Suit the City, the bespoke
tailoring franchise has become a successful
enterprise. And there’s no sign of its growth
slowing down. In fact, the market grew 22% in 2016 and
a further 15% in 2017, according to the franchise.
Customers are becoming more discerning, so
it’s unsurprising the company has attracted many
franchisees over the years. Each franchisee gets access

14

is their chance to choose
their future.
MagiKats is a franchise
for anyone who loves
seeing children succeed
and it works for anyone
– whether they’re in
teaching or in industry.
MagiKats provides all the
teaching materials, training
and marketing support.
A franchisee just needs
to bring enthusiasm,
commitment and energy.

to a wide range of products. Its
inventory includes everything
from sharp suits to casual chic
and evening wear.
The franchisees won’t be
alone as they’ll lead a team
of consultant tailors fully
trained by the franchisor. The
franchisees will manage the
development of the business,
winning new clients through
networking and events.
With low overheads and
strong margins from a mix
of new sales and long-term
clients, franchisees’ success is
only limited by their ambition,
leadership and drive.
Drawing upon the franchisor’s
experience, franchisees learn
how to gain new clients and
market their business. To be
successful, franchisees must
love networking and have the
ambition to build something
special. So obviously, this
position on the Elite Franchise
100 was made to measure.

Since 2012, Mess Around has
been creating memorable, messy
experiences for babies and children
with fun-filled parties and it’s proud
to enter the Elite Franchise 100 list
this year
messarounduk.com

Mess Around parties and events, run by
a network of over 28 dedicated franchisees

throughout the UK, provide larger-than life messy
play experiences for all. From messy play to
slime making and much more, the sessions provide lots of
opportunities for children to explore.
The nationally recognised brand in the children’s activities
sector hosts parties with an atmosphere which provides the
unique opportunity for parents and carers to come along, mess
around and forget about the tedious task of cleaning.
Joining the Mess Around franchise family is the perfect
opportunity to run a business using a tried and tested model
which provides not only the flexibility but also the support of
an experienced and friendly network. A potential franchisees’
investment secures everything they need to hit the ground

running including training,
equipment, marketing support
and endless resources.
The franchisor is available
on hand to support and help
new franchisees to grow
their business. Additionally,
they’re provided with ongoing
opportunities to enhance their
training and knowledge so their
business grows from strength
to strength.
Some of the benefits include
no commission to be paid
and no targets to meet. On
average, a franchisee can turn
over between £250 to £350
per session depending on the
size. The franchisees’ initial
investment can be earned back
in less than six months.
The number of sessions
franchisees can deliver will be
up to their stamina. They can
expand their earning potential
with private sessions, parties,
workshops and merchandise.

Visit FranchiseSales.com
to find out more about buying a care home franchise.

93
Apollo
Blinds

apolloblindsfranchise.co.uk

Apollo Blinds is a

rapidly growing franchise
network selling and
installing gorgeous madeto-measure window
blinds, plantation shutters
and awnings.
It’s part of Hunter
Douglas Group, the
world’s largest window
blinds company, so
franchisees have access
to the broadest range of

window blinds in the UK.
Apollo Blinds is the first
to market innovative, new,
high-quality products that
can be installed in a wide
variety of spaces.
The new management
has secured increased
levels of investment for
the franchise business,
leading to an expanded
support infrastructure
for existing and new
franchisees. This expertise
wasn’t something the
Elite Franchise 100 judges
turned a blind eye to,
granting the franchise its
place on the list.

92
Surface
Medic

www.surfacemedic.co.uk

Why replace when

you can restore? That’s
the ethos here at Surface
Medic. An enemy to the
cosmetic touch-up, we’re
able to permanently
repair almost any internal
or external surface
for businesses and
homeowners that need a
quick and budget-friendly
solution. With the demand
for both time-effective
and cost-effective repairs

at an all-time high, we’re
experiencing unprecedented
demand from a booming
untapped market.
As part of a group
boasting 17 years of
franchising success, we
have the knowledge of
how to help our franchisees
develop in to successful
business people. Since 2016
Surface Medic has grown to
a network of 53 franchisees
and this shows no signs of
slowing down as people
are coming to us every day
displaying their interest
in this concept. Not many
franchises can say that
they include a nationally
recognised qualification
within their package.

16

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

Diamond Home Support is a

91

Diamond Home
Support
diamondhomesupport.com/cleaningfranchise

90

Furniture Medic
furnituremedic.co.uk/franchise-opportunities

Using technologically advanced

equipment, products and processes,
Furniture Medic’s expert technicians
revitalise valuable furniture and wood
pieces, restoring and enhancing their natural beauty
and strength, often on-site in homes and offices.
The franchisees provide home and business owners
with an affordable alternative to replacing fine wood
furnishing and fixtures. A Furniture Medic franchisee is
taught at its in-house training workshop to repair any

cleaning, home help and gardening
management franchise. Franchisees
don’t have to do the work themselves
and can initially run the business from home
in their spare time if necessary. Both cleaning
and home help are booming sectors. Nearly five
million households have a cleaner – a rise of 24%
since 2011. Much of this growth has been driven
by the under 35s.
In addition to this, Diamond Home Support’s
home help service is in high demand from an
ageing population.
Franchisees can tap into both of these growing
areas for a low startup fee of just £2,495 plus
VAT. This includes an extensive territory in
which to trade and some marketing for the first
six months. Diamond Home Support provides
unlimited training and support from day one in a
modern and accessible way.
The network has over 70 franchisees covering
around 50% of the UK, meaning there are
still opportunities to join this award winning
franchise network.
One franchisee said: “The support from
head office is excellent and I can thoroughly
recommend Diamond Home Support to anyone
who is looking to build a
long-term business with
excellent residual income.”

material, laminate, upholstery leather, UPVC and
marble using simple procedures and the latest
technologies. Experience isn’t necessary but a
passion for DIY is a must.
The Furniture Medic franchise opportunity is
a proven and trusted franchise model, backed
by franchisors with nearly 60 years’ franchising
experience. With experts in HR, IT, technical,
finance and marketing, there’s a whole team
of professionals readily on hand to provide
assistance and guidance.
Sailing straight into the Elite Franchise 100 list
in its first attempt, this franchisor has success to
build on.

This newcomer to the Elite Franchise
100 list didn’t have to work hard to
make the cut. Having shaved off all
bad habits over its two decadeslong history, Headcase Barbers has
become a truly fantastic franchise
headcase-barbers.com

Headcase Barbers was established in 2000

leading a revival of male grooming with a clear
vision to restore barber shops to the centre of local
communities, focusing on the experience of firstclass barbering. It’s now the UK’s largest and fastest growing
brand in barbering, starting 2019 with 40 locations open, or in
final stages of preparation, and with an expectation to open
at least 20 additional locations through the year. It also has
master franchisees operating in South Africa, The Netherlands
and Ireland and it’s seeking further international expansion.
The secret of its success is the franchisor’s ability to recruit
talented men and women to our confident, self-styled Barber

Army. Providing a traditional
customer experience built on
a relaxed and welcoming shop
environment enables franchisees
to earn more than the rest of the
sector. This makes a compelling
case for franchised shop owners
— be they barbers or investors —
looking for a straightforward, easy
operation business to launch or
add to an investment portfolio.
Headcase Barbers makes
investment as simple as possible
from search and selection of the
ideal shop units, to recruitment
of committed barbers, financial
planning, marketing, business
development and operations. It
supports franchisees with area
management visits and business
reviews utilising its bespoke
EPOS system which allows
detailed performance analysis
and – uniquely to the sector – a
walk-outs monitor to help rota
planning in busy periods to reduce
customer queue frustrations and
maximise revenues.
New for 2019 is a strategic
partnership with Morrison’s
supermarkets to locate Barber
Pods within their 493-strong shop
estate. With ten locations already
confirmed, the franchisor expects
to attract significant interest
through the year.

18

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

88

Wagging
Tails
waggingtailsfranchise.co.uk

Lisa Suswain

established Wagging
Tails in 2007 to give
dog owners the holiday
service they truly want
for their beloved pets.
Flash forward 11 years
and Wagging Tails is the
only Trading Standards
Approved business
operating in the industry,
it provides dog owners
with the very best holiday
care for their four-legged

Everything you
need to buy a
care home
franchise.

companions in an
exclusive, loving, home
environment – allowing
both dog and owner to
enjoy a relaxing holiday.
Wagging Tails’
franchise offering gives
aspiring franchisees
the opportunity to join
this successful multiaward-winning network,
running their own homebased business, doing a
job they love, with their
dog by their side.

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

ENCOURAGING WOMEN
INTO FRANCHISING

EWIF EDUCATES

WOMEN IN FRANCHISING
EWIF provides advice and guidance to women looking to enter the
world of franchising; either to franchise their business, or to start their
own business with the support of a franchise.

Looking to get into franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings and see
how we can help you!
“As always, EWIF events are a great chance to meet and ask questions
in a very supportive and informed arena. Thanks EWIF. ”
Jenny Williams - The Detective Project

coupled with
a unique portable waterfed mixing units, marketleading chemicals and
industry-tested inhibitors
– mean Clear Brew’s
eco-led repeat beer-linecleaning service reduces
costs, waste, risk and
improves draught beer
line quality.
With no upfront
costs or contracts, its
solution becomes a vital
repeat service that its
customers rely on and
are happy to endorse.
Clear Brew has just
welcomed its 41st
franchisee and is looking
to continue to expand
nationwide. It’s seeking
highly motivated
individuals who are
enthusiastic, great
communicators and have
a desire to succeed.
By choosing Clear
Brew, franchisees can

become their own
boss, running a highly
successful franchise
with their own huge
protected territory,
a training package, a
full equipment pack,
marketing launch and
full ongoing support.
A golden opportunity
for those who want to
help consumers better
enjoy their amber
nectar, Clear Brew
means franchisees
can run their business
from home and enjoy
benefits such as low
overheads, an excellent
daily cashflow, high
profit margins and
massive growth
potential. The franchise
offers a vital repeat
service to its customers,
regardless of the state
of the economy.

86
FiltaFry
filtafry.co.uk

For over
20 years

FiltaFry
has been
providing an
outstanding franchise
concept that specialises
in cleaning deep
fryers and recycling
cooking oil. Its rare
that environmental
initiatives go handin-hand with profit
strategies but FiltaFry
is a green franchise
that has managed to
combine the two. To
date it operates in over
13 countries around the
world with more than
350 franchisees.
In times of economic
uncertainty, businesses
that deal in food
production such as
restaurants, hotels,
schools, stadiums and
hospitals look to reduce
overheads in any way
they can. FiltaFry offers
a niche service that
blends the benefits of

cost reduction with the
social responsibility of
being eco-friendly.
The service
provides an on-site
fryer management
service which
includes temperature
calibration, oil
micro-filtration and
a thorough vacuumbased detail cleaning
of each fryer, every
visit. The cleaning
and maintenance of
commercial fryers can
be a dangerous task
for employees which
can often result in
serious burns, falls and
other injuries. FiltaFry
eliminates these risks
by providing a quick,
safe, clean and costeffective service to
maintain fryers without
interrupting day to day
operations.

20

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

What’s dinner without

something sugary
afterwards? No, not afterdinner mints or vanilla ice
cream – think like Willy
Wonka and dream beyond
the ordinary. It worked for
Yousif Aslam, co-founder
of Heavenly Desserts, the
luxury desserts franchise,
which launched in 2008.
Entering what was a
relatively competition-free
market he then launched
in the Midlands and grew
from there to then enter
the franchising sector in
2016 after refining the
business model. “We
felt it was commercially
viable to grow the store
base nationally and
share the success with
passionate and motivated
entrepreneurs,” says Aslam
of the decision. The first

85

Everything you
need to buy
a sandiwch
franchise.

Heavenly
Desserts

heavenlydesserts.co.uk

franchise soon opened in
Oxford and it was the first
time Heavenly Desserts
ventured south. In 2019,
there are even plans to
take Heavenly Desserts
into international markets.
It seems safe to say
things are looking rather
sweet for this franchisor
earning its spot among the
Elite Franchise 100.

84

The Detective
Project
thedetectiveproject.co.uk/franchise

The Detective Project was launched
by former Metropolitan Police detective

Jenny Williams in 2013. The franchise
presents fun forensic science-based events
for adults and children, enabling them to
explore how crime is investigated in the 21st century.
Children enjoy the educational workshops delivered
in primary and secondary schools, detective clubs,
youth groups and children’s parties. These hands-on

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

crime scene investigation
challenges spark an
interest in science
through teamwork,
problem-solving and
having fun.
Adult workshops include
corporate, team building
and social events based
on a competitive forensic
workshop. It’s no surprise
that the feedback for the
franchise over the years
has been brilliant.
While most current
franchisees have
backgrounds working
with the police or
in teaching and
forensic science, the
comprehensive training
process can be tailored
to all candidates. The
franchisor is looking for

energetic, self-motivated
people to join the team
– working for themselves
but not by themselves.
This is a people business,
involving communication
with children and adults,
parents and teachers,
individuals and businesses.
Its franchise chops
resulted in it impressing
the Elite Franchise 100
judges yet again this year.

21

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

82

GutterPRO
gutterpro.co.uk

GutterPRO is a low

83

Bodystreet
BodystreetUK.co.uk

Bodystreet
has a
simple

message for
anyone looking to get and
keep fit and believes that
20-minutes is all it takes.
As the leader in the
boutique personal
training fitness market,
incorporating elector
muscle stimulation (EMS),
Bodystreet knows how
to help time-poor or
gym-phobic individuals
get healthy and stay in
shape using their proven
methods. With nearly
300 international studios,
40,000 members and ten
million training sessions
delivered, the figures
speak for themselves.
Whilst the EMS concept
is new in the UK, with
studios already opened
and more being built, it
looks like the successes
in Germany are going
to be repeated here
too. Bodystreet studios
operate out of small high

street units meaning
access for clients is
convenient, affordable
and available for
franchisees. The
franchisee’s focus is all
about helping clients
achieve their fitness
goals by attending
once-a-week, rather
than registering
thousands and relying
on non-attendance.
As German
Franchisor of the Year,
Bodystreet’s support
system and training is
of the highest quality.
A closer look at
Bodystreet would be
worthwhile for aspiring
franchiseess who’ve
always wanted to
operate in the fitness
industry with a focus
on helping people
improve their selfesteem, with a support
system second to none.

cost, fast-start, van-based
franchise. It provides
an important service
to homeowners as well
as the property sector
including retail and
commercial clients.
GutterPRO keeps roof
gutters clear of moss,
leaves, weeds, plant
growth and other debris,
which keeps rainwater
flowing to the drains.
Using long carbonfibre poles and specialist
vacuums, GutterPRO
offers a fast and efficient
service. The GutterPRO

formula also features a
clever booking app to
avoid undue downtime
for the franchisee.
Clearly, the franchisor
has impressed the Elite
Franchise 100 judges.

Everything you
need to buy a
coffee franchise.

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

22

Pg22-EF100.indd 1

06/12/2018 22:23

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

81

techclean
established
1983

Investment
level
£19,500+VAT
Number of
franchises
12
Sector
Cleaning

Having cut its teeth cleaning
out offices in the 1980s,
techclean is serious about
growing its network and wiping
the floor with the competition
techclean.co.uk

Often when something seems too good to

be true, it probably is. However, techclean is the
exception to the rule, which has helped seal its
place in the Elite Franchise 100 list. The Bardon
Group’s latest franchise offers new franchisees an opportunity
to achieve an amazing return on investment, with many
achieving a net profit margin of over 55% within the first year
of trading.
And it’s easy to see why as there is a lot of demand for these
services. In today’s age of superbugs, office hygiene has shot
straight to the top of most companies’ list of priorities. Swab
tests have proved there’s more harmful bacteria on a computer
keyboard than on a toilet seat. General office cleaners may flick
a duster over the keyboards and wipe around the desk but can
rarely achieve the level of cleanliness that is essential to keep

bugs at bay and extend the life of
the equipment.
That’s where techclean comes in.
The franchise meets this growing
demand from businesses and
organisations by providing a topquality cleaning service for office
equipment that comes into regular
contact with human hands. By
doing this, techclean has become
the market leader in its field. Today
in a market that is ever-growing,
techclean’s customers include big
names like Porsche and Disney as
well as banks, lawyers, call centres,
schools, hospitals and universities.
Each franchisee will head up a
generously-sized territory that
covers at least 10,000 businesses.
No premises are needed, making
the franchise a perfect business
to run from a home office with
minimal outlay.
The ideal owner will be well
organised, ambitious and good
with people and ideally have an
aptitude for sales and marketing.
No previous cleaning experience is
required as full training is given.

Mr. Electric might be a newcomer
on the Elite Franchise 100 list
but its proven business model
offers prospective franchisees
an opportunity to explore their
entrepreneurial skills
mr-electric.co.uk/become-a-franchisee

Launched in 1994, Mr Electric now operates
in five different countries under the same proven
brand and business model. The franchise provides
those looking for a developed business opportunity,
the chance to manage a team of technicians to achieve the
target turnover over £1m.
With leadership and management qualities to build a
successful business empire, franchisees can kickstart their
franchise where the franchisor provides the systems, marketing
and industry experience.
Mr. Electric provides established business relationships before
they’ve even walked through the door.
The electric vehicle (EV) market has opened a lucrative
new business opportunity for Mr. Electric’s franchisees. EVs’

popularity has jumped with
customers and businesses looking
for ways to reduce rising fuel bills.
Over 500 new electric vehicle
charging units are installed across
the UK every month.
Mr. Electric is a governmentapproved installer of EV charging
points and is playing a key part
in shaping the EV revolution by
being able to install and manage
charging points for homes,
workplaces and public areas
throughout the UK. It has also
signed partnerships with major
suppliers of EV equipment.
Mr. Electric is a valuable
part of Neighbourly, formerly
Dwyre Group. With nearly
3,500 franchisees worldwide,
Neighbourly is one of the most
trusted provider of service
franchise brands in the world.
With a vision to create a one stop
shop, now is the perfect time to
join an ambitious franchise group.

24

Pg24-EF100.indd 1

06/12/2018 19:36

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

This is a management

79
jackson
fire and
security

jacksonfire.co.uk/franchise

78

PetStay

petstay.net/franchise-opportunities

PetStay, established

in 2005, is the leading
home dog boarding
service in the booming pet
industry, being one of the
first companies to offer
licensed and insured dog
care with a home-fromhome feel. Franchised in
2012, PetStay has quickly
grown to own 40 branches

franchise. Part of every new
franchisees’ role will be to
recruit and manage a team
of qualified fire and security
engineers. They’ll also be
responsible for developing
commercial relationships
and new business in their
territory. No previous industry
experience is required, they
just need to have a strong
sales background and the
drive to grow a client base
of repeat business service
contracts. Technical, marketing
and accounting support is
provided by the franchisor.

across the UK. PetStay
is a full-time home dog
boarding business with
low overheads and high
profits, working in an
extremely profitable
market with a high-rate
of repeat business and
new customers. Awarded
a Five-Star Franchisee
Satisfaction and finalist
in Best Franchise in 2017,
franchisees benefit from
the successful PetStay
business model on top of
ongoing training, advice,
and one-to-one support
with head office.

77
TruGreen

trugreenfranchise.co.uk

TruGreen has been creating

beautiful lawns across the UK for
nearly 40 years and provides a
professional, expert lawn care service.
Its knowledge and business chops
saw the franchise being ranking among Britain’s
best franchises in the Elite Franchise 100 again
this year.
No two lawns are the same and neither is a
TruGreen treatment package. As a highly trained
and qualified lawn care technician, prospective
franchisees will be able to identify grass species
and lawn diseases to recommend a bespoke lawn
care package to suit the customer.
Technical training, business coaching and
support is provided by franchisor, ServiceMaster’s
resident lawn care expert, who has over 40
years of experience in professional sports turf
management. External training will qualify
franchisees in PA1 and PA6 chemical spraying
accreditations too.
The proven franchise model is designed to
maximise the potential revenue opportunities
all year round. Bespoke business management
software keeps track of sales and marketing
intelligence, so future franchisees can focus on
building their business.
As demand increases, they’ll be able to employ
additional staff and invest in more vans and
equipment. There’s no upper limit with TruGreen.

25

Pg25-EF100F.indd 1

06/12/2018 19:45

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

Everything you
need to buy a
property franchise.

76

Zerodrytime
Zerodrytime has

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

been cleaning households
and commercial premises
since 2008. Now, with over
65 vans covering every
part of the UK, it’s Britain’s
only dry carpet, upholstery
and hard floor-cleaning
franchise. The company
also has a master franchise
in Ireland.
The first international
master franchise based
in New Zealand offers a

zerodrytime.com

unique opportunity
to franchisees giving
them four cleaning
solutions under one
franchise. Additionally,
they receive exceptional
training, support and
back-up from the
training centre in North
East England.
TM

Rosemary Bookkeeping has jumped

75

Rosemary
Bookkeeping

from place 90 in 2018 to position 75 this
year in the Elite Franchise 100 list. Given its
franchise model, it’s easy to see why the
franchisor earned so many points. Established in 2002,
Rosemary Bookkeeping’s unique system provides clients
with the information they need, when they need it.
Rosemary Bookkeeping franchisees manages an
affordable, professional bookkeeping service that
supports both clients and accountants, allowing them to
concentrate on running their business.
A truly scalable franchise model, Rosemary
Bookkeeping is designed to suit any lifestyle, with the
option of outsourcing all or some client work as required.
And with HMRC’s plans to make tax digital for small
businesses in the near future and the introduction of
quarterly tax submissions for all SMEs, the potential with
a Rosemary Bookkeeping franchise is huge.
Rosemary Bookkeeping franchisees have unlimited
access to the experience of the long-established
franchisor ServiceMaster, including expertise in
marketing, finance, HR, IT and sales.
No experience or qualifications in bookkeeping are
necessary as full training in the Rosemary Bookkeeping
system is provided to all franchisees, as well as on-thejob experience through its existing franchisees.

Little Voices being included
in the Elite Franchise 100
for the first time is surely
something the franchisor will
shout from the rooftops
littlevoices.org.uk

Established in 2007, Little Voices builds

confidence and nurtures talent through inspirational
education in music and drama for children. Cofounder and managing director Jane Maudsley,
began her career as a singing teacher after she studied music
and trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
She recognised the skills acquired through music and drama
education go way beyond performance. “It’s the things children
learn that they can transfer into other areas: life skills like
eye contact, posture, breathing, handling anxiety and nerves,
effectively communicating with the spoken word, good diction
and pronunciation,” she says. With only eight pupils in a class,
Little Voices tutors can ensure each child builds confidence and
nurture talent through fun and engaging lessons, facilitating
development vocally, dramatically, personally and socially.

Following a LAMDA syllabus,
Little Voices works with trained
singing and drama tutors and has
just celebrated its 11th year with a
100% pass rate across its growing
network of 25 franchises.
Lessons take place after school
and often within schools, which
means no weekend commitment
encroaching on all-important
family time. Recognising that
children enjoy performance,
Theatre Weeks give children a
chance to learn new skills, make
friends and importantly have fun
and put on a show.
Not only is Maudsley passionate
about helping children reach
their full potential but she's also
passionate about supporting her
franchisees to help them reach
their potential. Integrity, trust,
care and confidence are at the
centre of the Little Voices culture.
“We want the best for every child,
parent, tutor and franchisee and
our culture, values and beliefs
enable us to deliver outstanding
education in drama and singing
within a safe, fun and creative
environment,” she concludes.

28

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06/12/2018 19:47

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

73
Optic
Kleer

franchise.optic-kleer.co.uk

Now celebrating its

25th year in business and
with franchises all over
the UK, Optic-Kleer is
truly at the head of an
incredible industry where
the work constantly
regenerates itself.
The franchise’s
relationships with most
of the UK DIY and
grocery chains developed

Everything you
need to buy a pizza
delivery franchise.

over many years puts
its franchisees on the
frontline and in a position
where customers seek
and come to them on a
daily basis.
A combination of
excellent technical
training, head office
support and a proven
business package has time
and time again brought
instant results from the
very first day of trading.

72

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

We Love Pets
welovepetsfranchise.co.uk

We Love Pets is a leader in the pet care

industry. In fact, the franchise’s numbers have
tripled in the last year. So it would be madness
if the judges didn’t grant We Love Pets a spot
on the Elite Franchise 100 list.
The franchise has led the way with its exceptional
training and ongoing support. Since 2007, it’s been
providing dog-walking and pet-sitting services to
thousands of happy customers.
Indeed, the franchise is a family business with people
and their pets at the heart of what it does. We Love Pets
is an award-winning, bfa-accredited company. Its animal-

loving franchisees left their jobs behind to become
their own boss while working with pets and getting
a better work-life balance, so all its franchisees are
successful and happy.
They enjoy We Love Pets’ unrivalled support
from its team of business, marketing and pet
experts, vet nurses and solicitors. It’s also the only
franchisor to offer the City & Guilds dog-walking
and pet-sitting qualification,
in partnership with Wiltshire
College. And it’s also the only pet
franchise to offer vet nurse and
solicitor support.
29

With almost four
decades of experience,
it’s no wonder
Recognition Express
caused our judges to
sit up and take notice
recognition-express.com

Recognition Express is the UK’s leading

supplier and manufacturer of corporate recognition
and personalised products for businesses. The
franchise has eight defined income streams ranging
from personalised name badges, promotional products, awards,
posters and banners to branded clothing for companies and
uniforms for schools.
The business has been successfully operating franchises in the
corporate recognition and promotional products sector since
1979. It’s the most successful franchise network of its kind and is
a past winner of the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year award.
Operating in a huge market worth roughly £3bn, Recognition
Express is strictly business-to-business. Its success has been
built on providing quality products, ensuring high levels of
personal service, delivering value for money and building strong

personal relationships with both
customers and suppliers.
Every business and organisation
needs to increase its recognition
factor, whether it’s a multinational
corporation, a medium-sized
charity or a local flower shop.
It’s not difficult to see why the
demand for branded clothing has
never been higher. From name
badges to corporate clothing,
signage and promotional items,
Recognition Express has built a
business on offering customers
innovative solutions that go far
beyond simply supplying products.
With over 39 years’ experience
and a thriving network of
franchisees, the brand offers an
excellent proposition for ambitious
people eager to set up and build
their own business. The bespoke
training and support offered by
Recognition Express are the envy
of the franchise industry.
Centrally designed, managed and
implemented direct-marketing
programmes form the backbone of
the company’s marketing systems
and are augmented by high-quality
collateral, marketing tools and
ongoing training designed to drive
business growth, customer contact
and brand awareness.

30

Pg30-EF100.indd 1

06/12/2018 22:14

Buy a pizza
delivery franchise.
A large market: 49% of
people in the UK eat pizza at
least once a week.
And a growing market: The
home delivery market grew by
5.4% between 2011 and 2016.
It exploits the boom in
smartphones: Mobile
devices have fuelled a surge in
online sales, over half of pizza
orders are now placed online.

Visit FranchiseSales.com
to find out more about buying a
pizza franchise â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and more!

Established in 1995, Betterclean
Services provides a quality
contract cleaning service to
businesses across the UK

bettercleanfranchise.co.uk

While a newcomer on the Elite Franchise

100 list, Betterclean Services’ long tradition has
made it deserving of its ranking. Through firstrate customer service and the implementation of
modern and innovative business systems, Betterclean Services
offers one of the most comprehensive, consistent and reliable
cleaning services in the UK. This approach has also been applied
to the franchise network to ensure franchisees receive the same
customer service, modern and innovative systems and support
as their customers.
On the back of a successful head office operation, Betterclean
Services franchisees follow a proven business model and tried

and tested methods of operation
to build their own profitable
management business within the
commercial cleaning industry.
As a franchise, Betterclean
Services offers one of the best
support structures to franchisees
throughout the life of the business
and boasts one of the lowest
management fees in the industry,
meaning its franchisees benefit
from support in all aspects
of running and building the
business whilst at the same time
maintaining more of the profits for
themselves. It really is a win-win
franchise model.
The Betterclean Services’ business
model has been designed to
make the franchisees’ role, as the
owner, as easy as possible. There
are systems in place to manage
almost all of the administration
and marketing tasks, including
access to Betterclean Services’
own bespoke software package.
As well as guiding and mentoring
franchisees, Betterclean Services
also helps by providing induction
training for the franchisees with
supervisory and management
staff at the head office training
centre. The franchisees’ role really
is to enjoy the process of building
a business that delivers a healthy
residual income.

32

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06/12/2018 21:04

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

69
Platinum
Business
Partners

platinumbusinesspartners.co.uk

Platinum Business

Partners launched in
March 2016 and is led by
successful entrepreneurs
and corporate leaders with
a ten-year track record in
franchising. Its mission is
to show franchisees how
to tap into the enormous
potential offered by
the explosion of online

to ensure everything
moves forward with the
best interests of the
policyholder at in mind.
The franchise offers
great income potential
with franchisees achieving
profits exceeding
£100,000 after only three
years in business. This
is an opportunity which
not only offers great
financial reward but also
full job satisfaction, which
is something franchisees
find they can be proud of.
New franchisees don’t
www.conceptbuildingsolutions.co.uk have to have any industry
experience, they just
Operating as a franchised need to be interested
business since 2002, Concept and willing to learn.
The franchisor has an
Building Solutions offers a
unrivalled training and
unique service designed to
mentoring programme
help policyholders through
meaning franchisees
offering a free building
insurance claims management are never alone in this
service. It will also complete all business. It isn’t the
largest network in this
of the required work agreed
field for no reason.
by the insurer, ensuring the
policyholder receives their
full entitlement. The service
takes away the stress this
kind of situation causes
and uses industry expertise

68

shopping not just in the UK
but across the globe.
Franchisees are offered a
step-by-step programme,
which is delivered online,
offline and one-to-one.
This includes mentor calls,
webinars, online training,
momentum days, business
performance analysers,
intranet and a private
Facebook group.
Franchisees have the
flexibility to work from
anywhere they want.

67

Boogie Beat
music and movement
boogiebeat.co.uk

Established in May 2000, multi-

award winning Boogie Beat music
and movement sessions are based on
traditional fairy tales combined with a
lively and active dance twist, suitable for
babies to seven-year-olds.
Franchisees run active and lively community classes,
workshops in nurseries and schools, intergeneration
workshops, parties and special events.

Concept
Building
Solutions

“Fully flexible to fit around my very young family
and busy mum life, with fantastic earning potential,
a brand with three strings to the bow with classes,
workshops and party packages plus a good support
network from the whole team makes Boogie Beat
stand out from the rest,” says Caroline Hissey, Boogie
Beat franchisee for Stoke-on-Trent.
The franchisor prides itself on the continued support
and training it gives its franchisees. It was recently
awarded five-star rating from an independent
franchisee satisfaction survey.
The franchisor looks for enthusiastic, self motivated
and energetic people to join its successful team.
33

Century 21 UK, an estate and
letting agency franchise, operating
throughout the UK, Isle of Man,
Gibraltar and Channel Islands was
established in 2005 and quickly
gained a reputation for providing
unparalleled customer service
excellence within the industry
century21franchise.co.uk

With the UK franchise owned by multi-

million-pound property services company, SDL
Group, Century 21 offices can offer every property
service including sales, lettings, auctions, mortgages,
estate management and surveying, multiple income streams for
the office owner.
The franchisor also gives the required support to all of its
franchisees. This support ranges from the initial set-up and the
launch of their business, to continuous in-the-field mentorship
which ensures that each business flourishes and triumphs.
The centralised Century 21 UK team has a wide array of skills
including marketing, IT and compliance and it works hard to

support Century 21 UK’s nationwide
franchised estate agents through
every step of their journey.
The support starts right from
the conception of a new branch,
with franchisees given guidance
to define a suitable and realistic
territory which ensures exclusivity
in that location based on the
local market and competitors.
Franchisees are also given access
to first-rate in-class training and
ongoing development support via
the Century 21 UK training academy.
This helps them to recruit and train
their own staff and ensures that
all Century 21 representatives are
equipped with the knowledge they
need to deliver their service in the
Century 21 way.
Century 21 UK franchisees are
never alone — the support provided
is continuous and on-going.
Franchisees have the opportunity to
access the Century 21 UK support
centre 24 hours a day, seven days
a week and 365 days a year. This
ensures franchisees can find online
tools to assist them with their dayto-day running, as well as YouTube
videos and PDFs that are full of
beneficial information.
Franchisees are also regularly kept
up to date via email, with everything
from property news updates and
industry intel, to sharing in the
successes from other offices –
cementing the true family feel which
runs through the franchise network.
No wonder Century 21 UK climbed
from place 72 last year.

34

Full Page.indd 1

07/12/2018 12:37

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

Foo
d

Buy an existing
franchise

Pet

Search 100s of franchise
resales now
Visit bfsale.co.uk/eliteresales

65

Busylizzy
busylizzyfranchise.co.uk

Established in 2011,

Busylizzy is a management
franchise opportunity in the
boutique fitness market. It’s
on a mission to make fitness
fun for mums and their
little ones. It’s dedicated to
giving members the best
possible maternity leave
experience with professional
classes, personal service and
awesome flexibility.
The franchisees provide
a supportive environment
for members embarking

on their first steps into
motherhood. Franchisees
build a steady and
reliable monthly income
stream from membership
subscriptions and manage
and motivate a team of
instructors to deliver classes.
A Busylizzy membership
is a must-have for mums
looking to enjoy a fun and
friendly pregnancy, baby
and postnatal fitness with
like-minded new friends.
Making children cheerful
certainly motivated the Elite
Franchise 100 judges to give
Busylizzy more than a few
brownie points.

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s
Coffee

64
Signs
Express

franchise.signsexpress.co.uk

A franchise with

Signs Express offers
high rewards in a
creative and dynamic
sector. Established over
25 years ago, Signs
Express, the UK’s largest
sign company, has over
65 centres nationwide.
With expert support,
training and advice as
well as industry knowhow, new franchisees
don’t need sign industry
experience to become a

es

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fran
en’s

Chil

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Prope
ise
h
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n
Fra

Fitness
es
franchis

part of the network.
Anyone looking for
an opportunity with
regular business, a
stable marketplace
and an established
brand can potentially
become a Signs
Express franchisee.
Benefits include
£30,000 investment
from Signs Express,
a dedicated UK
franchise support
centre, training and
ongoing support and
access to thousands
of sales leads.

One Stop’s four guiding
principles ensures that
franchisees succeed and, thus,
that it claims a great spot on the
Elite Franchise 100 list this year
www.onestop.co.uk

One Stop’s mission is simple – to create

and support thriving businesses at the heart
of their communities. Trading as a successful
convenience business for over 20 years, One
Stop currently operates over 900 stores throughout
England, Scotland and Wales. 20% of these are franchises.
The franchisor’s retail experience is the major aspect that
makes it stand out from traditional symbol groups, which
are predominantly wholesale-driven. The franchise model is
based on the group proposition One Stop runs successfully
in its company estate, giving franchisees a proven model
to base their business on. This model is built around four
major principles.
Firstly, One Stop delivers a competitive margin of between
18-24% dependent on a store’s mix. Market-leading meal

deals and continued price comparison
ensure competitive prices. Moreover,
the new One Stop-owned label range
featuring over 450 lines ensures
customers can get better quality, bigger
pack sizes at lower prices.
The second principle is to invest up
to £50,000 in a store’s look and feel
through a refit package which includes a
two-lane EPOS and back office system,
store design, fascia and fixtures and
fittings – all project managed.
The third principle is to provide a
simpler way of retailing. One Stop’s
easy-to-use systems and proven ways of
working take the hard work out of the
day-to-day running of a store meaning
franchisees have more time to focus on
their customers and team.
This also includes an extensive range
reset programme in which every
category is reviewed once a year. This
ensures franchisees are getting the best
return from the space they have, by
stocking the right range at the right time,
to meet the ever-changing demands of
their customers.
The final principle is to provide
franchisees with a partnership primed for
success. This includes the opportunity
to start off on the right foot with an
experienced former store manager
in-store training them and their
team. Similarly, a dedicated business
development manager visits every four
weeks, helping franchisees to grow their
sales and margins, not sell boxes. The
business development managers are
on hand seven days a week, providing
continued support whenever needed.
Dedication like this is why the franchisor
has secured a fantastic score from the
Elite Franchise 2019 judges.

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62
easyCoffee
established
2015

Investment
level
£175,000
Number of
franchises
10
Sector
Food + drink

Backed by the easyJet founder,
easyCoffee is already brewing
success on the Elite Franchise
100 list

easy.coffee

easyCoffee offers aspiring franchisees an

exciting new way of getting food and drinks at
terrific value on the go. The franchisor aims to
make things simple, fun and innovative. It’s one of
the fastest-growing high street coffee shop chains in the UK.
In the 1990s, the ground-breaking easyJet successfully took
on the big airlines with its high-value, low-cost proposition.
Now easyCoffee is doing the same for the retail coffee market,
offering customers a great quality coffee experience for less.
Since its inception, the easyCoffee brand has been warmly
embraced and the first shops have proved the business model
is robust and profitable, enabling habitual coffee drinkers to
save hundreds of pounds a year when enjoying its fairtrade
drinks from the growing network of coffee shops, kiosks and

unattended machines. It’s now
ready to work with ambitious
franchisees to accelerate its
roll-out across the UK and
throughout Europe.
As the franchisor puts it: “Come
and join the orange revolution.”
Opening a franchise with
easyCoffee is a great business
opportunity, requiring lots of
hard work and commitment.
easyCoffee expects franchisees
to be passionate and driven
in delivering the best quality
experience for customers.
This is a hands-on business
and requires franchisees to be
fully involved in the day to day
running of their operation.
The ideal easyCoffee franchisee
has a passion for coffee and the
easy brand, possesses a proven
business acumen and experience,
has strong leadership and
people skills, is open to advice,
guidance and change, is focused
on excellent customer service
and displays confidence as an
assured communicator.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

61
Warrens
Bakery

ENCOURAGING WOMEN
INTO FRANCHISING

EMPOWERS
WOMEN IN
FRANCHISING

warrensbakery.co.uk

Established in 1860, south-west

based Warrens Bakery puts a firm focus
on provenance as generations of bakers
have passed down craft bakery techniques
and traditions. Best known as the world’s oldest pasty
makers, the company now has over 70 stores across
the nation growing rapidly and continues to prove its
credentials as a craft baker. It was crowned winner of
the esteemed National Craft Bakery Business Award at
the annual Baking Industry Awards in 2018.
National brand awareness is rapidly on the rise for
Warrens Bakery with many new franchise stores
opening across the UK and moreover, hundreds of
new bakeries are planned to launch within the next
five years. Additionally, the franchisor has appeared
in national media including in a feature on BBC1’s
Saturday Kitchen. With a rich heritage and an array
of award-winning sweet and savoury bakes, Warrens
Bakery aims to be the leading ethical franchised retail
bakery. It has recognised a lack of choice in the UK for
consumers and franchisees, with a gap for a national
premium bakery. With its unique heritage, Warrens
Bakery addresses this. Its model provides franchisees
with a national supply, economies of scale and
operational staff training. The brand offers a versatile
opportunity, product development, point of sale
merchandising, and in-house marketing support.
Throughout 2018 there have been many new ranges
launched alongside the opening of new stores
including an expanding hot savouries range including
hot sandwiches and posh dogs, pasties and handmade sandwiches with flavours from around the world
which were all inspired by family meal-time favourites
globally and a nostalgic summer range bursting with
classic British cakes. To support its seasonal offering,
Warrens Bakery runs an extensive new product
development programme and plays a leading role
within its industry associations.
And now it can savour the
sweet success of climbing
from spot 94 in 2018 to the
61st place in this year’s Elite
Franchise 100 list.

EWIF provides advice and guidance to women
looking to enter the world of franchising; either
to franchise their business, or to start their own
business with the support of a franchise.

Looking to get into
franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings
and see how we can help you!
“The regional meetings are a fabulous way of
meeting like-minded people and sharing best
practice in the franchising industry.”
Jo Stone - Puddle Ducks Franchisor

Give your franchise business
a firm foundation
Our support for your franchise business goes beyond ďŹ nance.
We can connect you with the right people, with the right
knowledge, to boost your franchise business and help it grow.
Search: NatWest Franchising

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

60

Sandler Training
sandlerfranchising.co.uk

Sandler Training is a global

organisation with over five decades of
experience. Its franchisees work with businesses
to help them improve the effectiveness and
efficiency of their sales and management processes.
Sandler Training is the award-winning, global leader in
innovative sales and management training and consultancy.
Its clients span all industry sectors and include some of the
most dynamic companies in the UK. Sandler Training doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
just provide a quick fix solution but its franchise model is

59

to have recurring income from happy and
successful clients not for weeks or months but
years.
Sandler franchisees access outstanding
support throughout the network. There are six
conferences annually with other franchisees for
collaboration, learning and improving income
possibilities. In addition there are a wide range
of marketing and online learning tools for use
by franchisees and clients to provide long-term
continuous support.
In 2017 in the UK, turnover across the
whole network increased by 24%. Key to this
achievement is the support Sandler Training
gives to its franchisees. This is evidenced via
franchisee feedback. The franchisor became
one of a handful of UK franchises to be
awarded the coveted Five-Star Franchisee
Satisfaction award from research and
benchmarking firm Smith+Henderson in 2017.
Sandler Training continues to show its
achievements by jumping five positions in the
Elite Franchise 100 list this year.

diddi dance
diddidance.com/franchise/

diddi dance is

comprised of classes,
parties and nursery
and school sessions
for children five years and under.
Activities include original music,
multiple dance props and unique
40

lesson plans and syllabuses to
engage and educate children.
With an ongoing focus on getting
children moving, diddi dance
continues to grow across the UK
as one of the leading providers of
dance classes to preschoolers.

It began as a single class in
2003 in south-east London. As
interest grew in 2006, Anne-Marie
Martin, the founder, looked into
franchising the concept, so she
furthered the format of the classes
so it guaranteed new dance styles
every half-term for a two-year
programme to keep lessons fresh
and fun. After launching a few
diddi dance pilots between 2006
and 2009, franchising officially
launched in 2010. Since then, diddi
dance has grown and currently has
over 40 franchises. Franchisees
now are in business for themselves
not by themselves, providing
them the flexibility to work around
family life plus have the support
of Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience and her
support team to help guide them
when necessary.
With its huge commitment to
ongoing support and remaining
open to the innovative ideas
coming from its network, diddi
dance really is an all-singing, all
dancing franchise.

Having spent 41 years serving
local businesses and giving
back to the community in
which it operates, Kall Kwik
has earned its place in the
Elite Franchise 100 list
kallkwik.co.uk

Having traded in the B2B sector for 41

years, Kall Kwik clearly made an impression on the
Elite Franchise 100 judges. And it can credit its
considerable longevity to always being prepared
to meet change head-on and remaining customer-centric at
all times.
Kall Kwik is much more than print and design. The Kall
Kwik business services concept offers a low entry cost to
the marketplace and by outsourcing high-end production
it ensures lower ongoing operating costs – thus increasing
net margins. Successful franchisees have broadened their
services to include web design, email marketing and web-toprint and even provide marketing advice and services to local
businesses – ranging from creating, printing, distributing
and ultimately following up a direct marketing campaign to

fulfilling and sourcing specialist
printing services.
Today, Kall Kwik franchisees are
ideally placed to take advantage
of the estimated 5.7 million
SMEs in the UK marketplace,
not to mention the thousands
of schools, charities and local
government organisations. The
cost of entry is very competitive
at around £50,000 – excluding
shop fees and VAT. This covers
the right to use the brand,
training, marketing launch,
equipment and ongoing business
support from The Bardon Group
team. The multi-brand franchisor
has over 100 years of combined
experience in franchising for
franchisees to benefit from.
Alongside its impressive
heritage in the franchise
sector, one of Kall Kwik’s
USPs is its commitment
to local communities and
charities. Whether it’s running
a competition to provide free
logo design to local business or
championing environmentallyfriendly products, Kall Kwik’s
franchisees evidently have a
passion for philanthropy as well
as printing.

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57

Radfield Home
Care
established
2008
Investment
level
£80,000

Radfield Home Care’s amazing
franchise has made it jump 40 spots
in the Elite Franchise 100 list

Number of
franchises
9
Sector
Health + care

radfieldhomecarefranchising.co.uk

Over the last ten years, brother and sister

Alex Green and Dr Hannah MacKechnie have
developed a tried, tested and award-winning
opportunity utilising industry-leading technology,
a private focused business model and their lifelong sector
experience. As a result, they have been able to establish multiple
company-owned offices and support franchisees to achieve
success in the multi-billion pound marketplace.
The Radfield Home Care brand was first forged in 1982, when
Radfield Residential Home was established. The siblings grew
up in this home which was founded, owned and operated by
their parents setting them up for a lifetime within the healthcare
and charitable sectors. MacKechnie became a GP whilst Green

worked in the financial sector,
supporting numerous charities.
In 2008, they recognised the
changing attitudes of older people
and launched Radfield Home
Care to enable them to remain
independent at home, active and
a part of their local community. At
the same time, it was clear there
was a huge gap in the marketplace
for a high quality, private provider.
As a result, they launched and
developed a private homecare
business model, benefitting from
higher profit margins that allowed
them to develop one of the highest
quality homecare services.
Eight years later in 2016, with
a track record of establishing
multiple successful Radfield Home
Care branches, Radfield Home
Care’s franchise opportunity was
launched to enable like-minded
entrepreneurs to benefit from
Radfield’s proven business model,
experience and profitable private
market share. With a support
team boasting years of experience
in healthcare, operations and
business development, previous
healthcare experience isn’t required
and Radfield’s franchisees from a
variety of backgrounds are now
developing rewarding, sustainable
and profitable businesses.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

Pink Spaghetti PA Services

56

Pink Spaghetti
PA Services
pink-spaghetti.co.uk

was founded in 2009 to support
small-business owners with
everyday tasks they don’t have
time for – so they can focus on growing their
businesses. As most SMEs’ needs vary, the
franchisor’s services are offered on a pay-asyou-go basis.
A Pink Spaghetti virtual PA franchise is a
flexible, family-friendly, award-winning, homebased and highly profitable business.
Prospective franchisees must be able to take
on a number of roles like being helping hands,
capable of finding efficient solutions for any
given task whilst remaining calm. Typically
they’re expected to come from corporate life.
The model is ideal for anyone who’d like to start
up this sort of business but with the comfort of
a franchise network. Franchisees are expected
to tackle tasks ranging from administration to
social media, event organisation to marketing,
decluttering to holiday research. The franchisee
isn’t expected to have all this knowledge as
the franchisor will provide a comprehensive
and ongoing training programme, plus
unlimited support via its head office team and a
nationwide network of skilled, experienced and
friendly franchisees.
With this in mind,
the judges were
happy to welcome
this franchisor to
the Elite Franchise
100.

Visit FranchiseSales.com
to find out more about buying a property franchise.

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55
Ovenu

established
1994

Investment
level
£4,995+VAT
Number of
franchises
100+
Sector
Cleaning

With over two decades in the
industry, Ovenu is a franchisor
dedicated to turning up the heat in
the oven-cleaning sector which has
been demonstrated by climbing the
ranks of the Elite Franchise 100 list
ovenufranchise.co.uk

Ovenu was started nearly 25 years ago by

Rik Hellewell. Under his guidance the company has
grown, developed and prospered over the years and
has become the first choice for those looking to get
involved in the oven-cleaning and valeting sector.
The Ovenu opportunity is a perfect fit for hard-working people
who appreciate the benefits a tried, tested and trusted franchise
brand offers aspiring business people.
Ovenu has a clear understanding of the two key components
that make up its franchise package: cleaning ovens to a
meticulous standard and running a profitable business. And
what differentiates Ovenu from the many similar companies
in the sector is the outstanding knowledge, help, support and
practical guidance on offer to franchisees through every stage
of their business development.

The family-run headquarters and
external specialists retained by
Ovenu are undisputed experts in
their fields. Their input helps keep
Ovenu’s franchisees way ahead of
their competitors.
It would be easy enough these
days to contract out a few of
these projects to significantly
cheaper suppliers but that’s not
how Ovenu operates. The company
understands that quality has to be
a top priority throughout the entire
business. To ensure their success,
each franchisee is given a startup
package with the finest and most
cost-effective tools available,
including Ovenu’s own cleaningproduct range.
The online and offline marketing
comprises a range of eye-catching
and high-visibility adverts,
including fully managed online
campaigns. Additionally, the initial
and ongoing fee structure is
realistic and easy to understand
and the most recently introduced
version of the client management
system is generating significant
extra profits for all franchisees.

Really Awesome Coffee is one
of the UK’s leading mobile café
franchises and has firmly established
its position as the trailblazer in its
sector, claiming the 54th spot in the
Elite Franchise 100 list this year
reallyawesomecoffee.co.uk

Really Awesome Coffee franchisees are

benefitting more than ever from advances made this
year including mobile solutions, point-of-sale systems
and time-saving apps. The franchisor now leads the
way in franchising support by utilising cloud computing and
other digital solutions within its proven business model.
Founder Kevin Haswell is a self-confessed tech geek and his
Really Awesome Coffee van has been designed with efficiency
and ease of use at its core. “The unique power system,” he says,
“is just one of the reasons that makes it the best coffee van in
the UK.” And the founder is proud to say that every single van is
converted in its head office workshop.

Potential franchisees can enjoy a
healthy work-life balance serving
deli-style food to local businesses.
The emphasis is on helping
franchisees achieve their goals,
whether this is earning a specific
amount of money or working more
sociable hours and fitting their
business around family life.
As well as finding customers
and establishing a working
coffee round for franchisees, the
franchisor provides comprehensive
training which includes a
professional barista qualification.
Its business launch programme
is fully supported by a dedicated
franchise development manager
who assists each franchisee with
individual guidance alongside the
head office support team.
Really Awesome Coffee’s primary
aim is to have franchisees become
successful and profitable whilst
doing something they enjoy.
Obviously this dedication earned a
few points from the Elite Franchise
100 judges. Brewing success whilst
selling jugs of coffee has never
looked this much fun.

45

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

53
Dublcheck
established
1993

Investment
level
£9,950+
Number of
franchises
100+
Sector
Cleaning

Dublcheck was founded in 1993. It
now has over 100 franchisees and
is one of the UK’s fastest growing
private companies, according
to The Sunday Times and Virgin
Fastrack 100
dublcheck.co.uk

This year Dublcheck, the commercial

cleaning franchise held its 25th silver jubilee at
the Mere Hotel Golf & Spa Resort in Knutsford,
Cheshire. Franchisees were joined by the head
office staff to celebrate Carol Stewart-Gill, the founder of the
franchise. Seemingly there’s cause for additional celebration as
the franchisor rises up the Elite Franchise 100 list from position
85 in 2018.
Here, new franchisees don’t need to be able to sell. The
franchisor obtains all the business for the potential franchisee,
so they know exactly what turnover they receive. The minimum
turnover of £12,000 per annum is a starting point for those
running theirs hands-on and starting small whilst retaining
the security of an exisisting position. They can achieve up to

£500,000 per annum for running
a management business.
However, there is no upper
limit. The variable investment
levels offered by Dublcheck allow
franchisees the flexibility to run
their businesses hands-on, partly
or wholly-managed, depending
on the skills, ambitions and life
balance requirements.
Irrespective of the potential
franchisees’ background, investing
in a Dublcheck commercial
cleaning franchise makes them
a success and the training
programme helps them in
becoming a professional in the
field. Having been in the business
of setting people up in the
commercial cleaning sector for 25
years, Dublcheck knows how to
deliver. The commercial cleaning
sector is a massive industry. So
this is an exciting opportunity for
franchisees because the growth
and profit potential can be
maximised using the experience,
knowledge and systems the
franchisor has developed.
Stewart-Gill is an accomplished
entrepreneur and wants to help
people to own and build their own
business. With increasing numbers
of people in the UK owning a
franchise, Dublcheck is a fantastic
way of becoming an entrepreneur.
The franchisees Dublcheck
attracts to join the network consist
of high achievers who can share
and contribute to the offering.
Dublcheck believes working as
a team brings huge rewards to all
levels of its network. Commercial
cleaning is practically recessionproof according to the franchisor,
so the future looks stable for all
its franchisees.

network of swim schools
committed to teaching
children and adults to swim
and enjoy the water.
Swimtime, founded in 1998,
is the largest independent
swim school in the UK.
Teaching over 20,000
people to swim every
week the franchisor and its
franchisees work tirelessly
to innovate the industry,
investing in revolutionary

management systems
and programming, child
incentives and training
to ensure they can offer
the best product and
service possible to their
customers and swimmers.
Not only a member of
the International Swim
Schools Association
but Swimtime is also an
advisor. So of course it
made a spash on the Elite
Franchise 100 list.

Drain Doctor franchisees provide
an essential all-year round service,
managing their team of technicians
to return exceptional customer
satisfaction in the domestic and
commercial markets
ukplumbingfranchise.co.uk

Arriving in the UK in 1993, Drain Doctor is a

well-known name in the British drainage and
plumbing market, with a reputation for excellence.
Aspiring franchisees can own a business that
capitalises on that brand power to deliver substantial profits.
Its current highest turnover figures stand beyond the £2m
mark, proving just how fruitful the Drain Doctor model can be.
As an established brand, Drain Doctor holds a number of major
corporate accounts, companies who request work to be done by
its franchisees through their in-house national accounts team –
at no extra cost to the franchisees.
The Drain Doctor franchise package contains all of the
elements for franchise success. Using 30 years of experience
and the backing of Neighbourly, formerly Dwyer Group, the

world leader in service-based
franchises, Drain Doctor provides
a strong base for its franchisees
to build a sustainable and
profitable business. Franchisees
receive comprehensive training,
ongoing support, bespoke
technology and marketing
expertise and additionally Drain
Doctors’ systems to maximise
productivity and efficiency.
With Drain Doctor, a potential
franchisee is not just starting
their own business but also
joining a growing network of
over 3,300 business owners.
Drain Doctor is part of
Neighbourly, an international
franchising powerhouse having
21 successful brands under its
belt. Being a Neighbourly brand,
prospective franchisees can
be safe in the knowledge that
they’ll be benefitting from expert
training, proven systems and
dedicated support.
2019 promises to be an exciting
year for Drain Doctor with a
keen focus on further business
development. The introduction
of pro trade net will bring the
buying power of five franchise
brands into the hands of Drain
Doctor franchisees offering
substantial discounts on
equipment and materials.

Bright & Beautiful cleaned up in
this year’s Elite Franchise 100.
And with its support and care, it’s
easy to see why

franchise.brightandbeautifulhome.com

Bright & Beautiful is an award-winning

concept in domestic cleaning services. It provides
eco-friendly cleaning, tidying, laundry and ironing
with the highest standards of security and service.
Bright & Beautiful offers an innovative approach to domestic
cleaning with a full housekeeping service of exceptional
quality. It’s an ethical, experienced, award-winning and well
established franchise with a strong leadership team, both in
the UK and internationally.
Bright & Beautiful employs over 500 people and is
delivering more than 10,000 home service cleans per month.
The franchisor now plans to create 500 new professional

housekeeper roles by 2021,
bringing the talented workforce
to over 1,000. Being a Bright &
Beautiful franchisee is all about
people. Whether it be creating
business relationships, motivating
staff or retaining valued customers,
it’s looking for aspiring franchisees
who are personable individuals
with strong leadership qualities.
When they invest in Bright &
Beautiful, they become part of one
of the largest franchise groups in
the world. With a network of nearly
3,500 business owners worldwide,
Neighbourly is the go-to for service
franchises. Being a Neighbourly
brand, franchisees can be safe
in the knowledge that they’ll be
benefitting from expert training,
proven systems and dedicated
franchise support.
Gill Schofield worked in media
and marketing before deciding
to start her own business. “What
I find refreshing about Bright &
Beautiful is the brand style and
the very modern contemporary
feel,” she says. “Marketing is so
important in a business like ours
and I feel that Bright & Beautiful
has that sewn up.”

A new entrant for the Elite
Franchise 100 list, it looks to be
a happy new year for Cafe2U as
it showcases a strong and robust
flavour
cafe2u.co.uk

Launched as a franchise in 2006, Cafe2U

takes premium, espresso-based coffee, hot
chocolate and sweet treats directly to the consumer
at “non-traditional” locations all across the country.
The franchisor’s Monday to Friday success is based upon
visiting offices, business parks, industrial estates and sporting
venues at pre-arranged times. The round is planned to ensure
franchisees are operating in areas with less competition and
increased demand in the UK.
As the UK’s leading mobile coffee franchise, Cafe2U now
boasts a network of almost 100 vans and was recently
recognised as the fourth largest coffee-focused business in the

UK by outlets, according to Allegra
World Coffee Portal’s 2018 Project
Café UK report.
The premium coffee industry
in the UK is booming and shows
no signs of slowing down. Now
worth a staggering £4bn, this
year the UK coffee market
underwent a coming of age
by recording a 10.5% market
increase, signifying its 19th
consecutive year of growth.
Whilst the industry has
strengthened, so too has its
understanding of the UK coffee
consumer. The top two reasons
behind where people choose
to buy their coffee from are the
convenience of the location and
the quality of the coffee. Cafe2U
believes it’s extremely well placed
to deliver exactly what the
consumer wants.
A career with a Cafe2U mobile
coffee franchise can be extremely

50

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

profitable. By its very nature,
it provides a route into the
premium coffee sector with a
much lower overhead than those
on the high street, in shopping
centres or at transport hubs. In
addition, its mobile operation
enables franchisees to operate in
a less competitive space. Repeat
business is high as is the gross
profit margin. Just as important,
the franchisor ensures franchisees
love what they do.
No experience is necessary as full
training is given. In fact, Cafe2U
has a four-week training and
launch programme specifically
designed to get franchisees up
and running fast. It can even find
initial customers for franchisees.
Through a commitment to the
highest customer service, product
and operational standards, the
business looks to continue its
growth into 2019.
A recent survey conducted
by Cafe2U outlined that for a

number of customers, the social
experience of coming out to grab
a coffee and standing in a queue
with colleagues is a highlight of
their day. It gives them the ability
to get away from their desks for
five minutes and be out into the
fresh air to socialise, relax, text
a friend or answer the daily quiz
question posed by their friendly
barista. Many HR departments
are encouraging a break for their
workers in this way.
As consumers become more
discerning however, it’s important
to continually invest in developing
product ranges and ensure the
latest on-trend coffees and twists
are on offer. This has seen Cafe2U
add drinks such as turmeric and
matcha lattes, plus respond to the
preference for alternative milks by
adding the likes of coconut milk to
the back of the van.
Similarly, consumers are
becoming more and more driven
by environmental issues. As a

Rainforest Alliance Certificated
business, Cafe2U is confident of
the provenance of its coffee and
passing on that its coffee is grown
responsibly is a key message to
customers. In recent times the latte
levy has dominated the industry
and the national press. In reaction,
launching a KeepCup has seen
the franchisor meet customer
demand for an ethical response.
Likewise, it’s currently researching
a sustainable cup alternative to
launch too. This makes Cafe2U
a brand for the future – for both
customers and franchisees.
Given this dedication to constant
innovation, it’s hardly a secret why
the Elite Franchise 100 judges are
confident this is a great franchise
for prospective franchisees looking
to escape the daily grind.

Riverford Organic Farmers can
add claiming a top spot in the
Elite Franchise 100 list to its
long list of accolades

riverford.co.uk/franchise

Going from 59 to position 48 in one year isn’t

easy, which shows how impressed the judges were
with Riverford Organic Farmers. When founder Guy
Watson left London and a career in management
consultancy to return to his parents’ South Devon farm, he started
growing organic veg and hence Riverford Organic Farmers was
born in 1987.
Early days saw the produce grown and delivered using only
three acres and a wheel barrow to 20 local people. Motivated
by a determination to find a better way of getting healthy,

sustainable produce from grower
to consumer and avoiding selling to
supermarkets, Watson launched the
home delivery scheme.
Today, Riverford Organic Farmers
is the UK’s largest and leading
vegbox scheme, delivering
approximately 50,000 boxes of
fresh organic produce each week
across the UK directly from its farms
to its customer’s homes via the
franchisee network.
The organic market is currently
worth £2.2bn and has seen growth
over six consecutive years. This
growth has been reflected in
Riverford’s sales, which have shown
an 8% increase from the prior year
while the organic market as whole
has shown a 6% increase. In fact,
sales have grown consistently yearon-year since 2008. The franchisor
has made significant improvements
to the online customer experience
and as a result, an ever-increasing

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

amount of customers are buying
a wider range of products from
Riverford, helping fuel the growth
of each franchisee. This strong retail
performance is being enjoyed by
its franchisees across the country
where more than 95% have seen
growth over the last 12 months.
Sustainability is one of the main
reasons Riverford has successfully
farmed organically for over 30
years. Since day one the business
has believed in a better way of
producing food.
Riverford’s customers care
about where and how their food
is produced and as a result they
trust the brand to grow and source
fresh, tasty and ethical food. What
sets Riverford apart from other veg
box companies is its commitment
to reducing food waste, food miles,
packaging and ensuring animal
welfare meets the highest standard.
It also supports the small farmers
it works with and ensures they get

paid fairly. The franchisor looks to
develop long-term relationships not
only with its suppliers but also with
its franchisees.
Its success relies on all elements
of the supply chain working
perfectly together. The strength
of its franchise network is a key
component to the overall success of
its business.
Its franchisees come from all walks
of life and backgrounds so there’s
no Mr, Miss or Mrs right. That said,
Riverford is quite selective with its
applicants. As well as sharing its
brand values, there are some key
attributes that are essential.
Everything from basic business
understanding, sales and marketing
skills to the ability to build
and maintain strong customer
relationships is expected from
potential franchisees. They are
guided through the structured
recruitment process. During this,
they are encouraged to fully discover

what life as a Riverford franchisee
entails so they’re able to ascertain
if the business is right for them and
gain an in-depth understanding of
the opportunity.
Running a business is hard
work but it must be rewarding.
Riverford’s franchisees are
testament to this and truly live life
on the veg and share the vision
for good food, good farming and
good business.
This is an exciting time to get
involved in the fast-growing
organic sector. Investing in a
Riverford franchise provides a
great opportunity to partner with
an ethical and innovative company
that has a proven business model
and a strong established and
respected brand identity.

easyStorage is part of the easy family
of brands which includes none other
than easyJet. And in the same way
that easyJet brought down the cost
of flying, easyStorage has found a
way to bring down the cost of storing
easystorage.com/franchise

Leveraging his years of industry experience,

Tim Slesinger founded easyStorage to shake up
the storage sector. Indeed, the market is thriving
and at the heart of it is self-storage where people
store their belongings in units within large warehouses. But
as much as 48% of a self-storage building is lost to access
corridors and height restrictions, making it inefficient and
expensive. Well aware of this, Slesinger says: “The market is
crying out for low-cost storage.” His model is based on storage
Pods, which can be stacked high and deep for maximum
efficiency. “Our storage efficiency makes our prices up to 50%
lower than competitors and still allows us to make a healthy
profit,” he adds. “And we have another advantage – unlike
self-storage companies, we collect from our customers, saving
them the stress and cost.” Customers can visit their Pods

54

at easyStorage or have them
returned. Packing materials and
insurance cover are also available.
easyStorage has five centres in
London and franchises in Liverpool
and Enfield. Franchise director
Nigel Dawson has a wealth of
experience to offer, having worked
with brands such as Boots, Guinot
and Dyno. More details are available
on easyStorage discovery days,
which are being held around the
country. “The franchise package
brings together all the elements
needed for success, with a low
initial investment,” says Dawson.
The easy brand is widely known
and trusted for value, so when a
franchise launches, it does so from
a position of strength.

With its extensive support
and franchise opportunities,
Countrywide Grounds
Maintenance has deserved its
Elite Franchise 100 spot
countrywidegrounds.com/franchise

Countrywide Grounds Maintenance provides

a huge range of all-year-round grounds maintenance
services to the commercial marketplace. Its range
of services includes grass-cutting, pruning, hedgecutting, road sweeping, litter and leaf as well as snow clearance,
landscaping, fencing, turfing, gritting and tree surgery.
Established in 1984 the franchise now has a £22m group
turnover, maintaining over 12,000 sites nationally. With large
exclusive territories, an impressive blue-chip customer base,
extensive national accounts and very low market penetration,
each Countrywide Grounds Maintenance franchisee has great
growth potential within their own territory. Accordingly, its
franchisees are building high-revenue businesses with strong

profit margins and ensuring strong
financial security for their future.
This is predominantly a
management franchise and
franchisees will be involved in all
aspects of the day-to-day running
of their business – including
employment and management of
staff, visiting customers and head
office liaising. Many leads come
from head office so franchisees do
very little selling, only having to
visit and price the sites and then
send out local quotations. The
paperwork for national tenders is
also done by head office.
As a multi-award winning
management franchise,
Countrywide Grounds Maintenance
isn’t only one of the UK’s most
successful franchise networks
but also the market leader within
its own industry. Countrywide
Grounds Maintenance carefully
selects its franchisees to maintain
its outstanding brand reputation
and to ensure a mutually
successful future for both parties.
Previous gardening or horticulture
experience is not required as the
franchisor provides extensive
training. However, it’s looking for
candidates who are ambitious,
motivated, enthusiastic, reasonably
fit and possess good people skills.
In May 2017 Neighbourly, one of
the world’s largest multi-brand
franchisors in the trade service
sector, completed the addon acquisition of Countrywide
Grounds Maintenance. Neighbourly,
which recently reached $1.5bn
in system-wide sales, will now
have 21 brands with nearly 3,500
franchisees across its service
brands throughout North America,
UK and Germany.
Countrywide Grounds is now has
a few new territories left and a
select amount of franchise resales
available for budding franchisees.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

45

Merry Maids

merrymaidsfranchise.co.uk

Merry Maids has been making

customers’ homes sparkle for nearly
40 years across the world and
almost 50 Merry Maids franchisees
are reaping the benefits of a boom in the UK
domestic cleaning market.

Franchisees utilise the
recognised Merry Maids
brand name, proven
franchise model and
tried and tested cleaning
methods and products
to build their profitable
cleaning empires.
Franchisees will be the
face of the business. It’s
their main responsibility
to share with their
prospective customers
the benefits of a Merry
Maids domestic cleaning
service. By giving unique
in-home quotations
to customers, they’re
able to agree to a truly
customised clean on a
one-off, regular, weekly,
fortnightly or fourweekly basis.
Franchisees will be
able to recruit, train
and manage a team of

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professional domestic
cleaners, all proficient
in using exclusive
Merry Maids products
and specialist cleaning
equipment provided by
the franchisor.
Bespoke management
software tracks revenue
and marketing spend, as
well as organising daily
cleaning schedules and
invoicing. With Merry
Maids, franchisees’ focus
is on building a profitable
business, not the dayto-day grind of admin,
paperwork or cleaning.
No wonder the Elite
Franchise 100 judges
were so impressed by the
franchisor as it rejoined
the list this year.

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06/12/2018 22:35

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

advanced learner with a positive attitude to
study. The Kumon method enables children to
self-learn with instructors’ guidance, helping
students take charge of their own learning
journey and develop the confidence to strive
for their goals and aspirations.
Kumon franchisees build their own
business and run their own study centre.
The franchisor is looking for dynamic
professionals passionate about education
who are degree-educated with good maths
and English skills. This is a full-time business
opportunity where franchisees will build and
run their own operation with the support
of a dedicated area manager. They’ll also
benefit from initial and ongoing training in
all aspects of the study programmes and
business support.
Together with their instructors, Kumon aims
to help children build a brighter future. This
was something the Elite Franchise 100 judges
truly admired, hence the high position in the
2019 ranking.

44
Kumon
kumon.co.uk/about/franchising

Kumon is the UK’s largest

supplementary education provider, offering
individualised maths and English programmes
to help children of any ability progress and
reach their potential. It’s globally recognised in over 50
countries with 4.3 million students worldwide. Kumon’s
aim is for every child to become an independent,

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INTO FRANCHISING

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WOMEN IN FRANCHISING

EWIF provides advice and guidance to women looking to enter
the world of franchising; either to franchise their business, or to
start their own business with the support of a franchise.

Looking to get into franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings
and see how we can help you!
“The regional meetings are a fabulous way of meeting
like-minded people and sharing best practice in the
franchising industry.”
Jo Stone - Puddle Ducks Franchisor

award-winning Turtle Tots is
a leading provider of aquanatal yoga, and baby and
toddler swimming lessons
in the UK, its currently
helping over 13,000 parents
teach their children water
confidence and swimming
skills. It provides franchisees

with the training and tools
they need to run successful
Turtle Tots businesses that
are flexible and rewarding.
Best of all, aspiring
franchisees don’t need
to have a swimming
background or qualifications,
as Turtle Tots guides
them through the training
required. Almost all
franchisees had very
different
careers
before
they joined
Turtle Tots.
57

With an eye on future
overseas expansions, Heritage
Healthcare has earned its spot
on the Elite Franchise 100 list

heritagehealthcarefranchising.co.uk

Heritage Healthcare is a provider of expert

homecare services that allow individuals to continue
living independently at home for longer. The care
company began its franchise journey in 2013
following four years of building a successful business model.
Heritage Healthcare launched in 2008 in the Redcar and
Cleveland area, when CEO Glenn Pickersgill along with his wife
and director Sally Pickersgill purchased a homecare company
and since then, his life has always been within the care industry.

Jameela Kotawala signed the
first franchise agreement in 2014
after meeting the directors at a
Birmingham franchise exhibition
and provided her first care hours
with Heritage Healthcare Cardiff
on Christmas Day that same
year. Since then, Kotawala has
expanded her business and now
owns two territories, the latest one
being in Swansea.
In 2014, director Michelle Fenwick
achieved the qualified franchise
professional accreditation, the first
in the UK franchise care industry.
Fenwick has developed a fantastic
relationship with the bfa, having
been elected as chair of the bfa
Northern Forum over the past two
years and in 2018 as chair of all
regional chairs.
Today, Heritage Healthcare’s
franchise network has successfully
grown to 22 franchises throughout
the UK.
Heritage Healthcare’s key ethos
is to provide high-quality care

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

and support to clients, so they
can remain living independently
at home. The brand delivers
a range of care services, each
tailored to the individual and
their unique needs.
Upon signing the franchise
agreement, franchisees take
part in a comprehensive ten-day
training programme which covers
finance, marketing, IT and creating
business plans, all of which
prepares the franchisee to launch
their business.
The dedicated and bespoke
support provided by the
Heritage Healthcare franchising
teams sets the care company
apart from competitors. Both
marketing and financial support
are held at the franchisorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
head office in Darlington. The
marketing department works
with franchisees to create unique
artwork, deliver campaigns and
support digital marketing. In

2018, it brought pay-per-click
marketing in-house and following
a successful run of a recruitment
campaign, one franchise office
saw a 150% increase in the number
of job applications they were
receiving through the website
weekly. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finance
department provides support for
the networkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing business
finances and use of technologies
to support care management.
This gives franchisees a better
understanding of their finances,
from when they first launch and
continuing throughout their
business development.
2018 has seen Heritage
Healthcare begin a new chapter
in its franchise journey following
a launch into the international
franchise market.
In April, Pickersgill and Fenwick
attended the Global Franchise
Forum in Naples, Italy, where
the latter presented the brand

to international business
partners. This exciting path
has already sparked interest
from the Netherlands and
Sweden, with a hope to find a
master franchisee within the
new year.
The brand is continuing
to grow across the UK and
aims to expand the franchise
network by a further ten
franchisees in 2019. The
directors are also looking
at different ways to provide
a platform for the current
franchisees to share their
resources, advice and best
practise within the network
to continue working together
and provide high-quality care
and support.

59

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07/12/2018 14:02

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

40
Barking
Mad
barkingmad.uk.com

The original dog

home boarding business
opportunity, Barking Mad
offers an excellent recessionproof company. Established
in 2000 with more than 80
UK branches, the marketleading brand is expanding
in a growing sector.
Indeed, many customers
ranked the franchise as
their favourite company
on TrustPilot. Part of the

Franchise Brands group,
franchisees enjoy quality
and professionalism as
standard as well as the
latest business systems.
A full member of the
bfa, its support and
system has won multiple
awards like the Amazon
Growing Business award,
bfa HSBC Franchisor of
the Year and Franchisee
of the Year.
And now it can add
another top ranking in
the Elite
Franchise
100 to its
long list of
accolades.

1 February | Olympia London
4 October | NEC, Birmingham

Are you an existing
franchisee with
aspirations for growth?
Receive invaluable insights from
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learn how to maximise your ROI, and
make industry connections.
Previous delegates include franchisees from:

41

Vodafone
vodafone.co.uk/franchise

Vodafone’s franchise

systems are set up all over
the world.
In fact, 80% of its global
retail estate has seen
investment and in just
15 months Vodafone
has opened a total of

66 franchises. Now,
Vodafone is looking for
entrepreneurs who want
to own a small number
of stores in the UK.
And, as of November
2018, Vodafone is
using the skills the
franchisor learnt over
the last 20 years to give
prospective franchisees
the best chance to shine.

This Elite Franchise 100
newcomer – albeit one in its
20s – proves franchising can
be child’s play

rhythmtime.net/elite

Founded in 1995, Rhythm Time is the UK’s

number one pre-school provider of developmental
music classes, delivering quality, age appropriate
sessions for babies, toddlers, pre-school and
special needs children all over the UK. It all began with
music teacher Kathy Doolan who passionately believes that
early music-making and singing has the power to transform
children’s lives. After seeing first-hand how music helped her
daughter’s development, she wanted to share this with families
in her local community, so she wrote a sound, developmental
programme and now over 12,500 young children attend each
week. The dream of sharing the benefits of early music-making

with families all over the country
became a reality as demand
grew. Now sessions are taught by
enthusiastic franchisees, dedicated
to delivering high quality classes in
a fun and engaging way.
Music helps young children’s
physical, intellectual, social
and emotional development.
It’s essential for developing
concentration, listening, language,
numeracy, literacy and motor skills.
Rhythm Time’s awardwinning business has 23 years
of experience and success in
helping musical people launch
their own family-friendly and
flexible franchise business. The
franchisor understands it can be
scary starting a new venture, so
it’s there from the beginning to
hold new franchisees’ hand, taking
them through the process stepby-step. The franchisor provides
new franchisees everything
needed to promote and deliver
its distinctive classes, including
unlimited support in marketing and
business management strategies
and 174 detailed lesson plans –
the foundation for a successful
business. Different sized territories
are available so you have the
flexibility to choose how big or
small you would like your franchise
business to be.
As Fiona from Aberdeen says:
“Running a Rhythm Time franchise
is fantastic. I run a business of my
own around my family, with the
help and expertise of the central
office team. The
product is brilliant
and I’m so proud
to be part it.”

Dream Doors is going from
the strength to strength.
No wonder it’s climbed six
positions in the Elite Franchise
100 since 2018
dreamdoorsfranchise.co.uk

Dream Doors was established in 1999 and

specialises in providing full kitchen and bedroom
refits and makeovers using replacement doors
and worktops. There are currently 84 showrooms
throughout the country, employing teams of trusted, local
professionals to deliver the services within specified territories.
Dream Doors prides itself on the quality of the training
it provides to new franchisees, ensuring they have the
knowledge needed to visit customers at home, survey their
kitchens and sell products based on their needs.
In fact, the level of training and support on offer means new
franchisees don’t require any previous experience in kitchens,
in sales or in running a business of their own.

Dream Doors’ head office
staff and business development
managers support new
showrooms from the beginning
— providing help in finding
premises and setting up initial
appointments to giving ongoing
marketing, sales and support
services for the duration of a
showroom’s operation.
New franchisees can join the
network for as little as £35,000
investment of their own cash, plus
the ability to borrow more, and
quickly be in a position where
they are generating hundreds of
thousands of pounds – and earning
a six-figure annual income.
The company holds a welldeserved 9.7 out of ten rating
on independent industry review
website Checkatrade, based on
over 19,000 reviews and over
70,000 installations completed.
Dream Doors has won 15 national
awards, including being named
best kitchen supplier and best
money-saving product in the Daily
Express’ Home and Living Awards.
Its strong industry reputation
means it offers high-end products
from brands such as Bosch, Neff,
Franke and Blanco, with some
exclusivity. Dream Doors recently
had its two most successful
months ever back-to-back — with
a turnover of £4.2m in September
2018 and £4.4m in October 2018.
The company also recently
generated more web hits than ever
before, with a record 91,630 unique
visitors in October 2018.
®

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

Little Learners is a children’s

37

Little
Learners

activity franchise which aims to teach
children writing skills through messy
play. Today, there are over 30 franchisees
running Little Learners classes, parties, events and
working in schools across the UK.
It all started when Rachel Fay created Little
Learners in 2015. As a former reception teacher,
she knew children could arrive in school without
the motor skills necessary to hold a pencil and feel
daunted by mark-making attempts. This motivated
her to develop an innovative model for fun and
educational messy play classes that she delivered in
her local area. Fay’s unique mark-making programme
included four cute mark-maker characters as well
as a companion book so parents and carers can
continue the learning at home.
She initially decided to franchise the business as she
could see not only how popular the classes were, but
also how well she was able to fit running them around
her family life. New franchisees now join a friendly
and supportive community who have worked to make
Little Learners the leading educational messy play
provider in the country.
Never complacent though – Little Learners has now
reached the other side of the world and is preparing
to say g’day to its first Australian franchisees.
Additionally, the franchisor earned a spot on the Elite
Franchise 100 list to kick of its 2019.

littlelearnersuk.com

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Large earning potential

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Premier Education Group’s
commitment to franchising
excellence enabled it to
become one of the best
UK businesses on the Elite
Franchise 100 list
makesportyourbusiness.com

The Premier Education Group was established

in 1999 by David Batch. Originally under the name,
Premier Soccer, it has grown from a small business
that delivers football classes in the summer holidays
into an international franchise with a mission to educate and
activate the world.
Premier is at the forefront of not only delivering sports but in
recent years it has created a name by offering dance, drama,
health and wellbeing programmes. Its courses are held before,
after and during school – as well as in school holidays. In 2017
it worked with 15% of all UK schools, reaching over a million

children. Unlike some activity
providers, Premier isn’t just out
to find the future stars of stage
and sport. Instead, it focuses
on introducing a healthy, active
and fun lifestyle to all children,
regardless of ability. Inclusiveness
and a holistic approach underpin
everything the franchisor does,
whether it’s interacting with
children, teachers or parents.
The ability to bring sports, arts
and wellbeing under one roof is
something that really lets Premier
stand out in the world of franchises
and on the Elite Franchise 100
list. Kids returning from a Premier
course are likely to tell their
parents that they learnt how to
play lacrosse, memorised a new
dance routine or discovered what
goes into a healthy dinner.
Premier has partnered with UK
sports associations including
British Fencing, British Gymnastics
and England Hockey, to name
a few. These partnerships offer
world-class training to all its 1,200
activity professionals, ensuring
children receive the highest level
of guidance.
The franchisor has expanded
to America, India and China,
introducing its courses, camps
and curricular sessions to children.
This has served to further boost
the earning potential of a Premier
franchise, on top of the 125
UK territories that are already
operating successfully.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

35

Autosmart
International
autosmart.co.uk/be-your-own-boss/available-franchises

Autosmart was founded in 1979 by a husband and
wife team who saw the success of franchising in America
and wanted to use this business format to distribute
vehicle cleaning products from shops on wheels, which
they called mobile showrooms. From these small beginnings the
company grew steadily from a handful of Midlands-based franchisees

into an international market-leading
brand. Following a management buyout
in 2005, the company is still privately
owned by managing director Sophie
Atkinson and is proud to be both an
established, successful franchisor and a
UK-based manufacturer.
Today, Autosmart manufactures over
200 unique cleaning and valeting
products at its factory in Staffordshire
which are then distributed by a network
of 119 franchisees in the UK, over 100
franchisees internationally and numerous
agents in countries from Iceland to
Trinidad and Tobago.
Autosmart’s large range of chemicals,
aerosols and accessories clean thousands
of vehicles, machinery, premises and
even people every day. Franchisees sell
Autosmart products to hundreds of
different businesses in industries such as
the automotive market, haulage, plant
hire and construction, agriculture and
food processing, all from a mobile shop
on wheels.
Autosmart’s franchise network provides
customers with the complete package of
market-leading products, delivery to their
doorstep and expert advice and training
on product usage.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

34
BoConcept
established
1952

Investment
level
ÂŁ350,000+
Number of
franchises
300+
Sector
Retail

Climbing 39 spots in the Elite
Franchise list is something few
franchisors can say. But BoConcept
would be right at home with those
bragging rights
boconcept.com/franchise

The BoConcept story started back in 1952

when two gifted Danish craftsmen opened a
furniture factory in Denmark, aiming to produce
high quality furniture, with a great design and
functionality at affordable prices. Since opening
the first brand store in Paris, France, in 1993, BoConcept
has gained over 25 years of franchise experience and more
than 300 stores in 65 countries and six continents, being a
truly global brand and an established, proven and attractive
franchise model.
Rooted in Scandinavian design principles, a truly global trend
that generates demand, BoConcept offers premium quality
interior design to the cosmopolitan-minded customer.
It proposes a highly customisable, functional and coordinated
product collection to fit each customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and ensure

a consistent look. The franchisor
offers a personalised and
comprehensive in-home or store
interior design service, to help
customers create their personal,
modern and sophisticated homes
and living spaces.
BoConcept has grown as a global
retail lifestyle brand through a
unique strategic market positioning
â&#x20AC;&#x201C; premium quality and design at
a fair price, defined in the market
sweet spot as affordable luxury.
The business model and core
competencies are applied
throughout the value chain from
design, branding and marketing
to production, logistics, sales
and customer service, allowing
to optimise the overall sales
performance in the stores.
It offers a strong toolbox, support
and training within all areas of
business and retailing, which makes
the setup and management of
BoConcept stores straightforward.
Therefore, most of its franchisees
own several stores. BoConcept has
also developed a superior model
for generating quick cashflow, ideal
for franchisees.
In the next five years the brand
plans to have more than 600
stores around the world, through
the recruitment of franchisees with
the right synergies and resources
to develop multi-unit opportunities.

Shuttercraft is one of the UK’s
leading suppliers of premium window
shutters. And its franchise expertise
has bagged them the 33rd position
this year, a massive jump from 89 last
year in the Elite Franchise 100 list
shuttercraft-Franchise.co.uk

Shuttercraft was founded by a brother and

sister team who recognised the potential of shutters
in the UK market. Since its early days, the company
has seen year-on-year growth, despite other
industries reporting a downturn in sales. Shuttercraft
attributes this to its premium products, exceptional service and
customers who want quality shutters, which provides resilience
when it comes to the ups and downs of the economy.
Franchisees run their businesses as management franchisees,
conducting surveys for customers and employing fitters to
install the premium made-to-measure products. Shuttercraft
only sells window coverings from S:CRAFT, the best in the
market for both craftsmanship and engineering. The market for
interior shutters has exploded over the last five years according

to the franchisor and Shuttercraft
has seen consistent year-on-year
growth, which is driven by the
increasing demand.
There’s now a higher awareness
of window shutters among
customers, coupled with a desire
for a stylish alternative to more
traditional window coverings.
Shuttercraft provides its
franchisees with extensive multilayered support, expert training,
technical support and business
administration to give their
company every advantage.
The franchisor has invested
heavily in marketing personnel and
is particularly strong at marketing
planning and SEO, resulting in
franchisees showing at the top
of the Google listings in their
area. Help is always available for
potential franchisees who need
marketing advice and support, to
make sure that high quality leads
are forthcoming.
Detailed training is also given by
a highly experienced and talented
ex-fitter to introduce franchisees
to shutters, no matter what sector
they previously worked in, ensuring
consistency of quality and that
every Shuttercraft is fully adept at
both surveying and fitting.
This management opportunity
is suited to ambitious, confident
individuals who want to rapidly
grow a business with revenues in
excess of £500,000.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

“Given the right

conditions to work,
and placed in a
beautiful place,
where you feel a little bit better
about yourself because you
know your work is being used
for something greater than
producing a profit, maybe you
will get more creative; maybe
you will want to work more.”
This quote by Bruno Cucinelli
perfectly sums up Esquires
Coffee’s mission, which is to
make more than just coffee - to
make a difference.
Each cup of coffee is not
only crafted with excruciating
care, it’s fairly traded, organic
and sustainable. The shops
aren’t just comfortable,
they’re sustainable, dynamic
and functional. Its cups are
compostable and the plastic
is recyclable. Esquires Coffee
write names on a cup - it
rather know and call customers
by name. Franchisees strive

32
Esquires
Coffee
esquirescoffee.co.uk

to know the community
too - retaining the local
charm rather than forcing
a global standard on the
neighbourhoods it serves.
These are the things that set
the franchise apart. Aspiring
franchisees looking to be
part of something meaningful

31
Anytime
Fitness

anytimefitness.co.uk/own-a-gym

Ranked the number one Global

Franchise and best Fitness Franchise for eight
consecutive years by Entrepreneur Magazine
Franchise 500, Anytime Fitness can now add
taking a high position in the Elite Franchise 100 to its
list of accolades. Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing
fitness franchise in the world, according to IHRSA.
Outpacing the likes of McDonald’s and Subway and
opening 3,000 worldwide clubs in just 13 years, Anytime

and important, are advised to give Esquires
Coffee a chance.
Undoubtedly, the franchisor rejoined the
Elite Franchise 100 list.

Fitness now has over 4,000 clubs in 33 countries
with over four million members.
With more than 155 British clubs, it’s the
second biggest fitness operator and the largest
fitness franchise in the UK. Open 24 hours a
day, 365 days a year, clubs offer a welcoming
community environment with unrivalled
convenience, premium equipment and service.
With private bathrooms, virtual classes and
more, Anytime Fitness suits any lifestyle,
allowing members to train anytime, anywhere
via a join one, join all policy.
Franchisees benefit from a network of more
than 30 consultants at the support office, as well
as a franchise performance coach to guide them
through every stage of owning a club. Following
positive additions to the senior team, including
new CEO Stuart Broster, the brand has enhanced
support by adding a balanced scorecard metric
called Evolve, partnered with CBRE to assist
with all property searches and product launches
including app-based Remote Coaching, Anytime
Workouts and a range of special membership
packages.

network, Mad Science has moved up from its
position of 51 on the Elite Franchise 100 list.
Established in 1985, the company now supports over
100 franchisees, with the first UK office opening in 2004.
Each year approximately 30,000 British children take part in
a Mad Science After School Club and nearly half a million see a
free Mad Science school assembly.
The Mad Science research and development team have
created more than 200 hours of original enquiry-based
programmes that inspire children by letting them get hands-on
with science experiments. New content is released regularly
and globally recognised brand partners include NASA, LEGO
and Crayola.

Mad Science instructors are wild
about science and are trained to
be excellent at safely managing,
engaging and entertaining groups
of excited children. With over 30
years of experience Mad Science
has a reputation as a safe and
trusted provider.
The all-year-round business
model includes after school clubs,
holiday camps, workshops, parties,
and special events. In the UK, Mad
Science franchisees also have
a growing portfolio of industry
leaders, who choose Mad Science
to inspire their future workforce,
lead their community support and
development programmes.
Mad Science is looking for
organised and confident leaders,
who aspire to establish their own
office and team.
The franchisorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support package
includes a comprehensive on-site
training plan, ongoing support,
training from the head office, a UKbased franchise account manager
and a dedicated peer mentor with
over ten years worth of experience.
Given the passion of its franchisees
and teachers, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safe to say other
franchisors should learn a thing or
two from Mad Science if they want
to skyrocket in a similar way.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

ENCOURAGING WOMEN
INTO FRANCHISING

29

Puddle Ducks
puddleducks.com/franchising

Puddle Ducks was founded in 2002
by Tracy Townend and Jo Stone.
The franchise specialises in teaching
children — from birth to ten years —
to swim independently and confidently. In fact,
Puddle Ducks teaches essential life skills and
water safety to over 20,000 babies, toddlers,
pre-school and primary school children across
the UK every week. It has a very clear mission,
vision and set of values at the heart of everything
it does. Everyone working with Puddle Ducks has
a passion for swimming, an ambition for growth
and a commitment to become an expert in every
aspect of their business. The franchisor’s ethics
are evident in its technical programme and it’s
the only national swim school to have ceased
underwater photoshoots due to concerns around
the submersion of babies.
Its focus on excellence and innovation is
recognised by the industry and accolades
including bfa awards, EWIF awards and a five-star
Franchisee Satisfaction six years running – the only
UK-based franchise to achieve this. Its business
support is second-to-none with dedicated expert
teams at head office for finance, business support,
swimming, marketing, retail and IT. So clearly it
made a splash in the Elite Franchise 100 ranking
this year, climbing from the 35th place in 2018 to
the 29th position in 2019.

EMPOWERS
WOMEN IN
FRANCHISING

EWIF provides advice and guidance to women
looking to enter the world of franchising; either
to franchise their business, or to start their own
business with the support of a franchise.

Looking to get into
franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings
and see how we can help you!
“The regional meetings are a fabulous way of
meeting like-minded people and sharing best
practice in the franchising industry.”
Jo Stone - Puddle Ducks Franchisor

Jumping more than 30 spots
since the Elite Franchise 100
2018 list, this franchise is
certainly an opportunity in
the ruff
trophypetfoods.co.uk

For 28 years, Trophy Pet Foods has delivered

British-made, natural, premium pet foods to
thousands and thousands of pet owners across the
UK. Everything it does is driven by the franchisor’s
passion for feeding pets a healthy, balanced food via its
nutritionally qualified franchisees. The brand, the first pet food
delivery franchise in the UK, is an established direct-to-yourdoor service, delivering their own unique range of pet foods
which are ethically approved and of uncompromising quality.
Trophy Pet Foods franchisees enjoy a booming, growing
marketplace with lucrative repeat business. Providing

sustainable high margins and
flexible working hours, franchisees
can also build rewarding working
relationships within their local
community. Trophy Pet Foods
franchisees benefit from support
in all areas, with training and
coaching in pet nutrition, national
and regional meetings, a social
media masterclass and will gain
skills, amongst others, in customer
service, business planning, CRM
systems, brand building and
customer retention.
With a pledge to have plastic-free
packaging in the next few years,
Trophy Pet Foods has a robust
green policy, one it’s very proud of.
It’s also a full member of the bfa,
has been a finalist for the bfa HSBC
Franchisee of the Year and holds a
top accreditation ranking for The
Ethical Company Organisation.
In addition, it has 100% excellent
five-star reviews on Trustpilot. The
customer ratings company even
acknowledged that the franchise
was “Best in class for being
pawsitively awesome.”
Trophy Pet Foods has
extensive marketing assets for
its franchisees, both online and
offline, with significant investment
in ongoing support and a proven
system for new franchisees, all
designed to set them on the road
to success. Along with the best job
satisfaction, this franchise affords
its franchisees the opportunity to
establish a loyal and dedicated
customer base, whilst tailoring the
business around the franchisee.

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I HAVE THE
BACKING OF A
GLOBAL BRAND.
I’M A FRANCHISEE.
THIS IS MY MCDONALD’S.

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‘I’d run my own business before, but it
was the support at McDonald’s that made
all the difference to me. I’ve got access to
a Franchisee Consultant who I’m always
bouncing ideas off. If I need any advice about
my business, there’s always someone I can
speak to, which means I can focus on making
my business as successful as I can.’
Sarah, Franchisee in Wiltshire

Empowering new businesses
through music, the Monkey Music
franchise was established in 1993
and its success over the years
saw it move up in its ranking in the
Elite Franchise 100 list
monkeymusicfranchise.co.uk

Since the early days, there have been 2.4

million hours of classes with no sign of stopping
and today nearly 2,000 classes are being held
every week across the UK.
Being one of the first pre-school businesses to franchise in
the UK and subsequently developing the pre-school activity
sector within the franchise industry, it’s no surprise Monkey
Music is now recognised as the leading light in quality preschool music education.
None of this would have been possible without the power of
franchising and the ability of a creatively managed network
to deliver collective growth.
At the heart of the company is a unique and educational
music programme taught by specially trained teachers and

franchisees. The majority of
them consist of working parents
who have successfully built a
rewarding career by joining the
franchise family.
Founder and CEO Angie Coates
is passionate about growing a
vibrant and progressive network
of franchisees supported by
modern technology. And with the
launch of a brand new interactive
website with an efficient online
customer booking service, the
franchisor has integrated a
brand new customer relationship
management system. New
recruits receive training from
the head office support team
and online tools are also part of
Monkey Music’s drive to offer
its successful and sustainable
business model to more
franchisees across the UK.
Drawing on their experience
with the franchisor, a franchisee
said: “Being a Monkey Music
franchisee is the best of both
worlds – you’re independent
and in charge of your own
business but you still have all the
benefits of being part of a larger
organisation.”

76

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

26

Oscar Pet Foods
oscars.co.uk

The franchise grew

in size but also climbed
in the ranking in the Elite
Franchise 100 list this
year. The franchisor looks
for potential franchisees who have
the ambition to own a successful
business and a desire to provide first

25

Southern fried
chicken
southernfriedchicken.com

Southern Fried Chicken

is a proud family run
business with the founders’
son Andrew Withers at the
helm, steering its growth
through national and
international franchising
with franchises in all four
corners of the world.
In 1970, Arthur Withers
established Southern Fried
Chicken after a trip to the
USA where he enjoyed
delicious southern fried
chicken. Back in the UK

class customer service. No
previous experience is needed
but passion for pets, drive
and enthusiasm is required to
become part of a franchise that
cares about their customers.
With its comprehensive
training, guidance and support

quality fried chicken was
not readily available and the
rest as they say is history.
Launched with the simple
intention to serve the ‘very
best tasting fried chicken’,
as true today as it was 48
years ago and it will be long
into the future.
Essential to the growth
of the brand has been to
standardise and simplify
all of the processes giving
customers the same service
and menu across the world.
It’s big enough to have
the expertise to build a
strong group of nearly
100 franchisees but small
enough to adapt its systems
to a specific country’s needs.

infrastructure, Oscar Pet Food’s
franchisees are never alone. Ensuring
everything is at their fingertips,
they’ll have personal access to
its experts in nutrition, behaviour,
marketing, accounting and general
business needs.
As a supplier of an extensive range
of high quality pet foods for all lifestages, the product speaks for itself.
Accessories, toys and healthcare
products form another section
of the service which establishes
personal customer relations and
better brand awareness.
Home delivery has seen massive
growth in recent years and
everyone is benefitting from the
convenience of direct-to-the-door
delivery of products and services.
Around 50% of households in the
UK own a pet, according to PFMA,
and busy pet owners are thankful
for the hassle-free way to shop for
pet food and accessories.
Franchisees come from all
backgrounds and the franchisor can
guide them towards a new career
working for themselves from home
with flexibility and choice.

Everything you
need to buy a
care home
franchise.

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

77

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

24
Business
Doctors
established
2004
Investment
level
ÂŁ39,500+VAT

Climbing in the Elite Franchise
100 ranking is well deserved for
Business Doctors

Number of
franchises
90
Sector
Business
services

businessdoctorsfranchise.com

The journey for Business Doctors began when

founders Matthew Levington and Rod Davies met in
2004 for a beer and discovered that they shared a
passion for business support. Having witnessed some
very poor business support service being provided by both big
consultancies and small independents over the years, they were
inspired to create something different that resonated with the
market and added real value to SMEs.
They established Business Doctors with the aim of providing
business support services to SMEs. Nearly 15 years on, the
Business Doctors network now spans across 90 offices in the

UK and around the globe covering
countries including Dubai, Ireland,
India, South Africa, Myanmar,
Cyprus and Malta.
Business Doctors specialise in
supporting SMEs, helping them to
fulfil their true potential.
The franchisors are a network
of experienced business people,
passionate about sharing their
skills and knowledge. From
successful entrepreneurs to
corporate leaders, they come from
all industry sectors to give small
businesses the help they need.
Whilst operating within the
consulting industry, the franchisors
arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t traditional consultants. Their
approach is different and involves
getting into the nuts and bolts
of companies providing practical
advice at every step.
The franchisorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim is to
offer hands-on support to
business owners, enabling them
to overcome their individual
challenges and achieve their
aspirations for growth.
Taken from MBA theory, Business
Doctors has developed a business
growth model delivered with a
no-nonsense, jargon-free approach,
designed to help people achieve
their vision.
Business Doctors has already
helped develop and transform
hundreds of companies across
a wide spectrum of industries,
filling a gap in the market between
the big four consultancies and
specialist individuals.

ServiceMaster Clean, forged in the UK
60 years ago, has become one of the
world’s leading cleaning brands offering
money-making franchise opportunities.
This expertise ensured the franchise
would rejoin the Elite Franchise 100 list
servicemastercleanfranchise.co.uk

For the domestic consumer-focused
investor, the residential carpet and upholstery

cleaning model from ServiceMaster Clean
provides potential franchisees with a man-in-a-van
opportunity to build a reputable and local business. Combined
with its business management software and the opportunity to
sell services online, it’s become increasingly appealing to the
residential market.
A more commercially-minded investor may prefer
ServiceMaster Clean Commercial, designed to provide
commercial carpet and upholstery cleaning services to

organisations on a repeat
basis. After all, building strong
relationships with clients is a
must to secure repeat business or
maintenance programmes.
Prospective franchisees thrive on
each day being different and are
expectated to be energetic and
possess the desire to provide the
best customer experience to invest
in a ServiceMaster Clean Disaster
Restoration franchise.
This 24-seven-365 business is
called in whenever customers need
it, whether it be to dry and restore
flooded properties or clean up
after fires, accidents and traumas
at any time. The franchisor and its
franchisees are always there to help.
In the multi-billion pound
commercial and office cleaning
market, many of the ServiceMaster
Clean contract services franchisees
have annual sales of more than £1m.
That’s because the franchisor has
built a business with the structure
to employ hundreds of cleaning
operatives to service numerous
contracts through the strong
relationships that it’s built. And with
the backing and support of a worldleading franchisor, they’ll utilise the
brand name and proven models to
build their business and investment.
In return, ServiceMaster Clean
looks for an entrepreneur with lots
of drive and ambition and the ability
and discipline to follow a proven
business model.
No wonder it has climbed three
positions this year compared to
2018. Great job.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

22

Right At Home UK
established
2010
Investment
level
£40,000
Number of
franchises
60
Sector
Health + care

Right At Home UK’s franchise
support and contribution to
society has earned it a top spot
on the Elite Franchise 100 list

rightathomefranchising.co.uk

Impacting lives for the better, Right At Home

UK prides itself on delivering the quality of homecare
the franchisees would want for their loved ones. The
highly-personalised support services profoundly
impact its clients’ lives. Directly witnessing this, everyone at
Right at Home UK has a deep sense of pride and satisfaction.
“Choosing Right at Home UK is the best decision I’ve ever
made – it’s like I’ve got my dad back again since he’s been with
them,” says the daughter of a client in Stockport and Didsbury.
Client feedback like this positions Right at Home UK as Britain’s
most highly-recommended homecare provider. Together, each
local office collectively achieves an overall rating of between
9.8 and 10 on the independent review site homecare.co.uk. The
model focuses on the benefit to clients receiving care from

someone they trust, someone who
understands their needs and how
best to support them and someone
who is highly trained and motivated
to promote their independence.
Right At Home UK offers preferred
one-hour minimum visits. Clients
have a small team of consistent caregivers and the franchisor has a no
stranger policy introducing new staff
in advance.
Core services range from
companionship to supporting
individuals with complex care needs
like specialist dementia care at home
or supporting younger adults with a
range of medical conditions, including
physical and mild learning disabilities.
Right at Home UK has been
franchising since September 2011 and
currently operates a network of over
60 offices. No previous experience
of the care sector is needed from
aspiring franchisees – just the
determination to succeed and a
commitment to high standards.
As repeat winners of the Best
Management Franchise Award, it’s
proud to hold one of the highest
franchisee satisfaction scores of all
time and to attain six consecutive
years of five-star franchise status.
With Right at Home, franchisees will
always find the right people, doing
the right things, in the right way, for
the right reasons.

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Give your franchise business
a firm foundation
Our support for your franchise business goes beyond ďŹ nance.
We can connect you with the right people, with the right
knowledge, to boost your franchise business and help it grow.
Search: NatWest Franchising

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06/12/2018
04/06/2018 20:05
17:31

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

21
Revive!

Revive! has always been

determined to set high standards for
the smart repair industry and provide
franchisees with the tools and training
they need to build and grow successful businesses.
Many mobile franchises are based on a man in a
van model but Revive! has evolved this. Its top
performing franchisee runs a £1m plus turnover
business with ten vans and 19 employees which
proves the viability of the franchise.
The franchisor has a clear profile in mind for
new recruits. It’s looking for ambitious, dynamic
candidates who want to grow a business from the
outset, employing skilled technicians and going for
growth. Existing Revive! franchisees come from a
diverse range of backgrounds and past industry
experience is certainly not necessary.
Revive!’s unequalled, fully certified training
provides an unsurpassed standard of skills and
knowledge. Support doesn’t stop after launch. The
franchisor helps with each stage of the business,
working with franchisees as they move through
their Revive! journey.

A great service
for customers and
franchisees alike has
earned Revive! an Elite
Franchise 100 spot
revivefranchise.com

Revive! runs regular peer-to-peer meetings with
franchisees at a similar stage of their franchisee
journey, regional meetings with input from
suppliers, dedicated high performers’ events
– including external speakers for the larger
franchisees – as well as its annual conference.
The accelerated growth plan course is open to
high performers and offers a guided planning
for growth programme with mentor support and
a range of dedicated training courses all aimed
at helping franchisees grow and develop their
leadership and management skills. This course is
an ongoing part of the tailored support unlocked
by franchisees reaching high performer status.
In June, Revive! was crowned winner of the

82

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

bfa HSBC Franchise Support
Award, the second time the
company has won this prestigious
accolade. The award recognises
the exceptional levels of ongoing
support delivered by head office
to its network. Revive! provides
its franchisees with the training,
business advice, technology and
mentoring necessary to grow and
sustain a successful business.
Revive! services are highly
valued by trade and retail
customers alike and this gives
franchisees scope to build a
substantial business.
For the general public, Revive!
offers an easy way to get their
damaged car back to its former
glory â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and with an increasing
number on the road every year,
the market is huge.
For car dealers, the service
offers significant advantages as
the franchise understands the
challenges and opportunities
within this marketplace. Revive!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
industry leading tablet and
bespoke app make invoicing
simple and enables the franchise
to offer detailed management

information to dealer groups,
helping them understand and
manage minor repair spend and
reduce costs.
Whether they need a technician
on-site each week for used car
preparation or want to increase
revenue streams by offering
customers an added value minor
paint repair service, Revive! can
help develop the best solution for
their business.
And for its national account
customers the franchise offers
a fully managed process,
with a number of its biggest
customers integrated into its
CRM system, speeding up the
process and offering great
service to their policy holders as
well as centralised invoicing and
management information.
The Revive! franchisee fee is
ÂŁ32,000 plus VAT with funding
available from major banks and
finance providers.
The outstanding opportunity on
offer from Revive! is one of the
main reasons why the franchisor
sits comfortably on the Elite
Franchise 100 list.
84

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

Everything you
need to buy a
coffee franchise.

ENCOURAGING WOMEN
INTO FRANCHISING

EMPOWERS
WOMEN IN
FRANCHISING

EWIF provides advice and guidance to women
looking to enter the world of franchising; either
to franchise their business, or to start their own
business with the support of a franchise.

Browse opportunities, advice & more.

Looking to get into
franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings
and see how we can help you!
“The regional meetings are a fabulous way of
meeting like-minded people and sharing best
practice in the franchising industry.”
Jo Stone - Puddle Ducks Franchisor

20
Mac Tools

mactools-franchise.co.uk

Mac Tools really

impressed the Elite
Franchise 100 judges.
As part of its family,
franchisees receive the
support, systems and
products to succeed.
Clearly the franchisor
is passionate about its
franchisees’ success.
Franchisees operate from
mobile showrooms – fully
liveried vans stocked with

the equipment mechanics
want and need. They’ll
enjoy the rights to sell
more than 18,000 worldclass tools from several
brands including Mac
Tools, DEWALT, Facom
and STANLEY.
Potential franchisees
can expect gross annual
profits of more than
£50,000 once they’ve
established their business.
With over 175 UK
franchisees and counting,
its business model is a
proven route which gives
franchisees
complete
control over
their future.

With its dedication to provide
professional personnel services
to SMEs, it’s no secret why The
HR Dept jumped 20 spots this
year in the Elite Franchise 100 list

SECTOR
Business
services

hrdept.co.uk

INVESTMENT
LEVEL
£11,970+VAT

The HR Dept is the largest global network of

HR professionals, providing outsourced advice and
support to SMEs. Run by 67 franchisees operating
in 111 territories nationwide, it’s now expanded
overseas and is growing its franchise network in Ireland and
Australia.
The company was founded in 2003 by Sue Tumelty, who
spotted a gap in the market for a high quality, local and
personal service, designed specifically for SMEs. The business
grew quickly and was franchised in 2005. Today it helps more
than 6,000 SMEs worldwide, with over 200 staff employed
within the network.
The HR Dept works at the coalface with SMEs, supporting
them to thrive through their people. It was the first HR company

86

to franchise and the model
encourages franchisees to
collaborate and share knowledge
to support their SME clients.
The HR Dept aims to become
its customers’ HR department,
offering everything a corporate
HR department would provide.
This includes anything from
employment contracts, payroll,
advice on disciplinaries and
grievances, restructures and TUPE
to bespoke training.
This comprehensive offering is
delivered by its franchisees, as
well as via third party strategic
partnerships. This enables the
franchisor to deliver a one-stop
HR solution for its customers
through services such as benefits
platforms and an online HR
management tool.
The unique product setting the
franchisees apart from their local
competition is the employment
tribunal indemnity insurance,
which is part of its retained
service. The HR Dept Advice
Line packages ensure that SMEs
have access to the HR support
and employment law advice
they need. Additionally, all costs
associated with an employment
tribunal claim or an award are
fully covered. It’s a real bottom
line protector for business owners.

ENCOURAGING WOMEN
INTO FRANCHISING

EWIF INSPIRES

WOMEN IN FRANCHISING
EWIF provides advice and guidance to women looking to enter the world of
franchising; either to franchise their business, or to start their own business
with the support of a franchise.

Looking to get into franchising?
Come to one of our free friendly meetings and see
how we can help you!
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I find EWIF meetings so helpful and enjoyable. Franchising is a great way to
work for yourself and so the more I can do to help other women follow this path,
the better.â&#x20AC;?
Sally Findlay - Recognition Express Mid Surrey Franchisee

The electronics and games
exchange retailer CeX is constantly
levelling up. No wonder it even
climbed the ladder in the Elite
Franchise 100 list this year, having
finished in 43rd place in 2018
webuy.com

The Complete Entertainment eXchange, or

CeX, shops buy, sell and exchange mobile phones,
games, electronics, computers and film media
directly from the public.
What separates CeX from similar retailers is the execution.
The franchisor trades in a focused, yet complementary product
range, backed by 25 years of experience. The CeX website
provides customers with the opportunity to buy, sell or
exchange their goods online with all orders being fulfilled by
CeX stores directly, giving franchisees the benefit of a much
wider customer base.
CeX has recently expanded into repairs, providing customers
with a complete solution to their electronic needs and

88

providing franchisees with new
revenue streams. CeX has also
launched its own range of branded
products and is expanding this
range further, improving the retail
offering and profits.
CeX has developed its own
bespoke computer systems that
simplify the process of buying and
selling. Goods are tested before
theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bought in and then resold
with a 24-month warranty, offering
customers great value for money
and peace of mind. CeX has grown
its number of branches while
other retailers in the sector have
been closing theirs, much of the
reason for this can be attributed
to these systems which enable
CeX to set its own prices based on
the market conditions, maximising
profits and limiting exposure to
industry forces.
In addition, franchisees receive
initial and ongoing training, stock
and pricing advice from experts,
intranet, web, email and business
services, store identification, design
and outfit, bespoke EPOS and
mobile EPOS systems and help
to launch the new store as well as
marketing support.

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

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DYNO

dyno.com

Rather than just unblocking

drains, DYNO’s 24-hours-a-day,
365-days-a-year emergency service
responds to a wide range of issues
for both domestic and commercial customers.
It’s underpinned by a set of values that puts
the customer at the heart of everything
DYNO does, which is why it’s constantly
looking at ways to improve both the service
it gives to customers and the relationship

with franchisees. The franchisor
prides itself on delivering excellent
levels of customer service and
is constantly looking for ways to
improve, which really impressed
the Elite Franchise 100 judges.
For example, it has recently
established a network of customer
service training centres up and
down the country. Bringing its
engineer training in-house ensures
the training is highly relevant and
tuned to the needs of customers.
DYNO has a dedicated national
accounts team that manages
relationships with some large
national clients.
On a local level, franchisees
can tap into a wide portfolio of
marketing materials to support

their activities and all have
commercial customers they
look after in the area.
Another key feature of its
business is the relationship it
has with British Gas. DYNO
provides a high-level service
to British Gas Homecare
customers, which means
that each DYNO franchise
enjoys a ready-made
customer base that can
provide a valuable income
stream to complement the
local on-demand market
and commercial customers
generated by the franchisee.
Based on financial success
alone, DYNO received plenty
of kudos from our judges
and has evidently earned its
place in the Elite Franchise
100 rankings. But when one
of the factors is the fact that
it has been a franchising
fixture since 1963, there
is no doubt in our minds
that this cornerstone of the
community deserves to be
ranked as one of Britain’s
brightest franchises.

Home is where the heart is and with Platinum
Property Partners providing full support to its
franchisees, it’s clearly right at home at the
top of the Elite Franchise 100 list

www.platinumpropertypartners.co.uk

Platinum Property Partners (PPP) combines

the certainty of franchising with the security of
property, to significantly reduce the risks for those
deciding to launch a new business. In fact, PPP
ensures their success potential will increase ten-fold.
PPP was established in 2007 by property investor and
entrepreneur Steve Bolton. It was established as the world’s
first property investment franchise. The franchisor offers a
tried, tested and proven business model enabling franchisees
to generate a lifelong annual income of between £50,000 and
£150,000. Over the last 11 years, PPP has successfully helped

more than 350 franchisees in
200 locations across the UK to
meet or exceed their financial
expectations and achieve
financial independence. PPP
understands that with scale
comes commercial leverage and
with collective knowledge and
experience comes competitive
advantage. With this in mind
it wants to continue to grow

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the network and pass this
knowledge onto others.
The PPP model focuses on
increasing cashflow and therefore
protects franchisees from market
fluctuations or future downfall.
It’s professional House in Multiple
Occupation buy-to-let model,
lets franchisees achieve up to
four-times the rental income
compared to single tenancy buyto-let properties. This long-term
strategy isn’t only designed to
work in today’s market but will
also provide a substantial income
for as long as franchisees want or
need it.
Due to the longevity and
security of the model, franchisees
come from a wide variety of
backgrounds. However, they all
have the same determination to
build their own business, create a
substantial lifelong income and a
better quality of life for themselves
and their families. The franchisor
provides support and assurance to
franchisees from day one.
Those who join the PPP network
learn everything needed to create,
maintain and sustain a profitable
property portfolio. PPP offers
not only expertise but also on-

going mentoring and support to
acquire the skills of how to build,
market and maintain an ideal
portfolio in a tax-efficient business
structure. This includes specific
training on which properties to
buy and where, how to costeffectively refurbish them and
how to obtain required planning
permissions and licensing to do
so. PPP also provides specialised
lettings courses, knowledge on
how to successfully market HMO
properties and detailed guidance
on financial management.
It’s spent over a decade
developing the franchise
and has a team of over 50
professionals involved in its highly
effective, intensive and ongoing programme. They include
specialist mortgage brokers,
accountants, solicitors and lettings
agents as well as renovation and
negotiation experts.
PPP is proud to be perceived
as more than just a franchisor, its
franchisees say the company is “a
way of life.” The franchisor truly
believes in the power of a network
and helping people achieve their
goals in life. It doesn’t just provide
information and inspiration but

also implementation. It supports
franchisees throughout their
whole journey, to ensure they’re
continually successful. Also,
unlike many other franchises,
PPP franchisees own their assets
from day one so the income
keeps coming in long after their
commitment to the franchisor has
expired. Most properties generate
an average of £17,000 annual
gross profit – that’s 40% higher
than traditional buy-to-let models.
Prospective franchisees need
between £300,000 and £700,000
of investment capital. This is
required in stages across the
first 12 months of the franchise
agreement, to fund the initial
franchise fee and purchase of
the franchisee’s own investment
properties. The capital required
is completely dependent on the
desired location of their portfolio
and the size of the portfolio they
want to build.

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Top 15 2019.indd 1

06/12/2018 19:53

Welcome to the
Top 15 UK franchises
for 2019, celebrating
the best and brightest
franchises that Britain
has to offer

Family-friendly franchisor
The Creation Station was a
hit with the Elite Franchise
100 judges this year

thecreationstation.co.uk

Sarah Cressall launched The Creation

Station in 2002. Her aim was to inspire
imaginations and nurture potential through handson creative classes, parties and events and over
one million kids and adults have already been inspired by the
friendly family of 120 franchisees.
Each experience creates unique journeys of exploration,
discovery and learning all of which are tailored to different
ages from newborn, kids, adults and senior citizens.
Activities include Tiny Treasure and Baby Discover
workshops which help parents and their baby explore and

discover their world and create
treasured keepsakes.
The Little Explorer preschool
programme helps kids to think,
connect, create and be inspired.
The Creation Station is one
of the first UK companies to
bring arts into STEM with an
ambition to support early years
learning by involving an element
of fun. Meanwhile, Family Fun
sessions bring the whole family
together to get creative with
slime, unicorns and a wealth of
engaging, creative fun. Create
Clubs provide school workshops
and after-school clubs allowing
for artistic development in the
programmes, while Creative
Crafters are adult crafting and
fun workshops.
Arty Birthday Parties and
Event Entertainment engage
and delight attendees and Care
& Creativity workshops provide
mindful creative fun in care
homes for the older generation.
Over 16,000 kids and adults
are inspired each week and the
activities have been rated fivestars by customers on Trustpilot.
With demand for creative
activities on the increase, The
Creation Station is looking for

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ELITEFRANCHISE
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100

proactive and friendly people to
help inspire imaginations within
their local community.
By developing a global innovative
brand, the franchisor hears about
the need for more creativity and
this is both powerful and farreaching. It cuts across all ages,
genders, abilities and cultures.
And it can create a positive impact
in education, entertainment,
wellbeing and the economy.
As a forward-thinking, problemsolving, innovative brand, The
Creation Station is providing
creative activities to meet these
increasing demands.
Some of the ways The Creation
Station is creating a positive
impact is by inspiring over a
million children and adults, in fact
it’s inspiring more than 16,0000
children and adults each week.
It’s launched new programmes to
bring the arts into STEM to help
engage more kids, particularly
girls, into these areas of learning.
Moreover, The Creation Station
offers Dedicated Awesome

Creative Events. The
events team provide
creative events for CSR
programmes, brand
events, festivals, PR
agencies, corporate
days, shopping centres,
school and nursery
workshops, sporting
events and where
quality engaging
activities are needed.
Creativity unlocks
potential and together
with its family of franchisees the
franchisor aims to create global
inspiration for good.
Drawing on her experience
as a franchisee in Bournemath,
Lisa Hagg says running her own
franchise for seven years not
only gave her the flexibility to
choose her working hours but
also achieve year-on-year financial
growth. “It’s a world away from
the corporate world I use to work
in,” she says. “Now I love being the
go-to creative activities person
in my community. I love making a

difference to children and adults
through our award-winning, fun
and educational art and craft
classes, parties and events. The
support from the franchisor for
our family of 130 other franchisees
is lovely. I really feel valued,
supported and part of sparkly
inspiring team.”
While The Creation Station
isn’t afraid of adding a splash of
colour to its classes, it’s clear this
franchisor isn’t messing around. So
it’s only fair it made it to the top 15
in the Elite Franchise 100 list.

Expense Reduction Analysts, the
worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading franchise in business
strategy, supply chain and cost
management, integrates the UK
network back into its global business. It
clearly impressed the judges this year
to make the Elite Franchise top 15 list
erafranchise.net

As a leading international white-collar

franchise, Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA)
has, for more than 25 years, helped companies to
optimise costs and improve efficiency by delivering
value through insight in areas such as cost and supplier
management, process improvement and, now, digital solutions.
During 2018, ERA UK, the largest ERA network, was
acquired by the international business. This has led to great
opportunities for growth within the network for franchisees,
increasing the frequency of international collaboration across
even more categories and the ability to offer additional

solutions and therefore greater
value to their clients.
This value, evident throughout
the network, is the combination
of years of individual franchisee
expertise and insight with the
knowhow and collective approach
of an international organisation
present in the marketplace for
more than two decades.
Nevertheless, with an international
network of franchisees of over 650
operating across more than 30
countries and with plans to expand
into new territories over the next
two years, the need for further
investment in the development
of the global support team has
never been greater. Indeed, in the
last 12 months alone, the team
has increased by more than 30%
in order to maintain pace with
the growth of the international
network.
One key area in which ERA has
invested significant energy and
resources is in the expansion and
development of its marketing
department recently highlighted
by the acceptance of the Best
Marketing Campaign award at the
Franchise Marketing Awards 2018.
In fact, this is the third time during
the last four years it has won this
prestigious accolade.
This extensive level of franchise
support provides ERA franchisees
with the freedom to focus on
winning new business and
delivering substantial savings and
added value to its clients.

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ERA’s business approach
combines the passion and
expertise of individual franchisees
with the collective knowhow and
global presence of an established
and award-winning franchise.
Its values as a franchise includes
a business model which thrives on
collaboration, an ability to leverage
one’s expertise, a strong passion to
deliver long-lasting value to their
clients and a company culture of
sharing knowledge.
With its global network, ERA
consultants regularly collaborate
on international projects. Thanks
to the level of expertise provided
by ERA franchisees within the
global network, all franchisees
can collectively service the
requirements of any company – no
matter the size or industry. They
work with both private and public
sector clients including businesses,
hospitals, schools, charities and
non-profit organisations. They
also work with some of the most
successful companies and brand
leaders in the world.
ERA specialists use their
knowledge and expertise to
generate process improvements
and tangible financial savings in
a range of different operational
and service costs inside a variety
of organisations, including those

within manufacturing, retail,
education, food and beverage,
automotive and professional
services.
So why can’t organisations
do better for themselves? Most
organisations turning over
less than €50m won’t have
a procurement department.
For those that do, the team
is typically focused on
their highest costs – often
purchasing goods for resale
or raw materials. Expertise in
buying one good or service
doesn’t necessarily translate
into buying others. The ERA
network is full of expertise in
all the other areas a business
spends money and that
expertise, applied at the right
time, generates efficiencies and
savings for the clients.
It’s not practical or sensible
to have a photocopy or fleet
expert on staff if you only
negotiate your contract once
every four years. But having
one on your side of the
negotiating table when you
do means that they can use
their market knowledge, price
visibility and understanding
of contracts to significantly
reduce their outgoings and
improve bottom lines.

After recently celebrating its
25th year anniversary, ERA has
no intention of standing still and
the franchisor is always looking
ahead to how new processes and
technologies can help to shape
the future of cost management.
“We are better positioned today
than we have ever been,” explains
Fred Marfleet, chairman at ERA.
“Our model and structure fit the
current, fast changing business
scene and is extremely well suited
to today’s economy, more so than
when we started 25 years ago.
By remaining humble, honest and
striving to put our clients’ needs
first, we foster our business and
achieve our mission. I am proud of
what we have achieved so far and
I am incredibly excited about the
future ahead.”
Certainly, acquiring a 14th place
in the Elite Franchise 100 2019 is
another reason for Marfleet and
his franchisees over at ERA to be
super proud.

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13

TaxAssist
Accountants

ESTABLISHED
1995
INVESTMENT
LEVEL
£40,000+
NUMBER OF
FRANCHISES
204
SECTOR
Accountancy
and
Finance

New franchisees can always count
on great support from TaxAssist
Accountants, which is why it
earned a top spot in the Elite
Franchise 100 list this year
www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk

TaxAssist Accountants is a leading

network of accountants servicing and
supporting SMEs in the UK. It was
founded in 1995 by a group of dedicated
professionals and based on a concept that was and still
is fundamentally simple – to bring first class professional
services to small-business owners.
An innovative franchise, TaxAssist Accountants is a
consistent winner of awards in both the franchising and
98

accountancy sectors and a recipient of
five-star franchisee satisfaction for five
consecutive years. TaxAssist now has
more than 200 franchises operating from
over 290 shops and offices across the
UK servicing over 70,000 clients.
Comprehensive initial and ongoing
technical, business development
and marketing training and support
is provided to potential franchisees.
Additionally, TaxAssist Accountants
provides a proven route for franchisees
to develop their own profitable
accountancy business and asset for
their future by offering the systems and
support needed to be successful.
For anyone with a background in
business, accountancy or finance, the
franchisor offers a proven model to help
them take control of their future. As
the UK’s largest accountancy franchise,
there are opportunities nationwide to
start a new practice or take over from an
existing franchisee.
The franchisor stays with franchisees

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

throughout their journey,
providing guidance and complete
technical, marketing and business
development support.
The training and support offered
by TaxAssist, combined with an
innovative shop front concept,
provides the opportunity to build a
substantial accountancy practice.
TaxAssist has been a game
changer for both the accounting
industry and for small businesses,
in the way it retails tax and
accountancy services through open
and welcoming stores. This concept
has proven to be a very effective
way to build a business, with many
franchisees opening multiple shops
in their territory and is very popular

with the small business target
market, who enjoy the friendly,
convenient, local service.
TaxAssist’s proven lead
generation service delivers
the right prospects to grow a
potential franchisee’s fee bank,
while their own website and
campaigns help increase their
visibility in their local areas.
They also have access to the
franchisor’s training academy,
which provides bespoke
technical support ensuring
the franchise remains a local
market leader operating to the
highest professional standards.
The franchise fee is £36,950
plus VAT with the total
investment required dependent
on location, working capital
and level of personal drawings
required. The franchisor works
closely with each individual
franchisee throughout the
business planning process
to establish the right level of
investment. All major banks
fully support the TaxAssist

Accountants franchise model and
willingly lend up to 70% of the
total investment required.
When a prospective franchisee
is ready to sell their practice, the
franchisor helps them realise its
maximum value and on many
occasions assists in achieving
prices in excess of industry norms.
For many clients, a TaxAssist
Accountant will be their one and
only advisor. And as the world
is entering a digital revolution
with the advancements of new
technology and making tax
digital, clients can rely on their
accountant to guide them through
the inevitable changes.
TaxAssist Accountants, with its
network of highly visible shops
and offices, is ideally placed to
take advance of the opportunities
that change is bringing.

Thanks to its secret sauce – strong financials and a sizeable
network – Papa John’s has risen up the Elite Franchise 100
rankings and is now focused on adding a topping of strong
support to its franchise package

www.papajohns.co.uk/franchising

Since being founded by John Schnatter
in the USA in 1984, Papa John’s has grown to

more than 350 stores in the UK and over 5,000 in
more than 40 international markets. As Schnatter
himself remarked: “The whole premise, the whole genesis by
which I founded Papa John’s was quality. We believed from
the get-go that if we took care of our people and we put our
best foot forward with the quality of our products that we’d be
successful.”
As a result, over the past two decades, Papa John’s has
become famous for its: ‘Better ingredients. Better pizza.’
concept across the world. However, its commitment to being
better doesn’t stop there. It aims to have a superior franchise
business opportunity, service, marketing, training and even

franchisee-recruitment process so
it attracts the best people around
to deliver its top-quality product
and service day-in, day-out to its
growing customer base.
In this way, Papa John’s is about
far more than pizza: it’s about
people. The talent is its team and
franchise network. Its franchisees
purchase a slice of a much bigger,
better business and, in return,
Papa John’s invests in its people,
just as they have invested in it. The
franchisor provides world-class

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training and all the assistance
and support needed to set up,
including help with location
selection and full turn-key opening
of the store.
Over the years, Papa John’s has
been particularly successful at
recruiting high-calibre franchisees
who are passionate about running
and growing their portfolio
of franchised stores. It is also
proud to be a full member of the
bfa and adhere to its code of
ethics, ensuring transparency is
embedded in everything it does.
Papa John’s has focused
on creating a clear and wellhoned recruitment process for
franchisees. This guarantees
the strongest candidates apply
and can quickly understand the
benefits of managing a Papa
John’s franchise. It awards the
franchise to the most able and
committed individuals and turns
down more than it says yes to. It
is looking for potential franchisees
who are energetic and aligned
with its core values, which include:
focus, accountability, quality and
a positive mindset. Successful
franchisees are then guided
carefully through a comprehensive
training programme to ensure,
once up and running, that their
teams can deliver the product
quality and service expected by its
loyal customer base.
Papa John’s franchisee training
is thorough. Franchisees receive

six weeks of training in total –
divided into three weeks at Milton
Keynes and a further three weeks
in a store – and this teaches all the
hands-on aspects of running the
franchise. Once the franchisee and
new team are trained, support is
provided to launch the store. They
are now part of the Papa John’s
family and so its whole team, from
its franchise business-development
managers to its local marketing
managers and brand-excellence
managers, are all dedicated to
assist in the overall success of the
franchise. The launch programme
support at Papa John’s is provided
in the form of local marketing,
while experienced head-office staff
are also deployed on-site for the
first week’s trading to help get the
new store off to a flying start.
Some of Papa John’s most
successful franchisees go on to
open multiple sites. It welcomes
applications from ambitious

franchisees who are keen to
grow a portfolio of outlets
and proactively supports and
incentivises this kind of expansion.
Papa John’s is a global brand
that has experienced phenomenal
success. However, the key to this
success is its culture and the
positive attitude of the people that
make up the DNA of its family.
And this investment in people
has evidently paid dividends: not
only did Papa John’s score very
highly in the Elite Franchise 100
on its financial performance and
the impressive size of its network
but the pizza giant has continued
to see significant growth yearon-year. All in all, a very firm base
upon which the pizza brand’s
franchisees can build.

An established and longterm member of the franchise
community, MOLLY MAID is
successfully leveraging Britain’s
£2.7bn home cleaning industry. No
wonder it’s claimed a well-deserved
place on the Elite Franchise 100
mollymaid.co.uk

From their kitchen table in Canada in the
late 1970s, Adrienne and Chris Stringer launched

MOLLY MAID. Since then the business concept
has grown to clean about 15,000 homes around
the world each day. MOLLY MAID was launched in the UK
in 1984 by Malcolm Tall, with his partner Pam Bader, joining
shortly thereafter. As the first female chairwoman of the bfa
she’s been instrumental in the growth of both MOLLY MAID
and franchising in the UK. The company is now owned and led
by Kevin Hipkins – the long-time president of MOLLY MAID in
Canada and Britain who spearheaded a management buyout
of his Canadian partners in 2015.

Most people in the UK can’t
remember how or when they
heard of MOLLY MAID, they just
know it. It might be its hundreds
of cars criss-crossing the country
or its instantly identifiable pink
and blue colours. Either way, the
MOLLY MAID brand is the most
well-known in the £2.7bn domestic
cleaning industry and a leading
franchisor in the UK, winning
numerous accolades in its 35 years
in business.
Leading franchisors like MOLLY
MAID achieve success because
they put franchisees’ success at
the heart of their business. This
philosophy is ingrained in the
company’s DNA and reflected
in the various programmes
available to help franchisees grow
their business. For example, the
development of bespoke software
helps manage the hundreds of
sales leads generated by the
MOLLY MAID website.

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But it’s not all business at MOLLY
MAID – the company organises
regular meetings, conferences
and events for franchisees to
meet and learn from each other
and celebrate their success. For
example, the franchisor celebrated
the success of its top sales leaders
by organising a trip to Venice
in 2018. Moreover, top grossing
franchisees have also been invited
to spend an evening at the Henley
Festival and at Ascot with other
President’s Circle members. These
events have helped make MOLLY
MAID as much a family as being
the nation’s most recognised
professional cleaners.
The company now boasts a
workforce approaching 1,000
stretching from Glasgow to
Brighton. And the franchise’s staff
of professional, caring cleaners
deliver the company’s mission
statement of making the MOLLY
MAID trademark synonymous

with quality, service and value to
thousands of customers across the
UK. All MOLLY MAID cleaners are
fully trained, insured and bring all
the equipment and supplies to do
the job right and recieve a liveried
car to ensure they can easily get
from one job to the next.
Indeed, with almost 300,000
cleans performed in 2018 alone,
there are a lot of jobs they need to
get to.
All these factors combined make
MOLLY MAID hands down the
most recognised and searched for
company in the industry. That’s a
bold statement to make, which is
why YouGov conducts research
annually to help find out how wellknown the brand is compared to
others in the industry. The latest
survey conducted in May 2018,
for instance, revealed UK adults
are three times more aware of the
MOLLY MAID brand than the next
nearest company.

With more than 120 potential
areas remaining in the UK and a
continuous, growing demand for
house-cleaning, the company is
expecting to double in the next
ten years and make the brand
even more well-known.
With exciting expansion
expectations and its experience
of providing excellent services
to both the public and its
franchisees, MOLLY MAID cleared
the way to its high Elite Franchise
100 ranking.

Given InXpress excels at moving
things around, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unsurprising
the franchise shipped itself from
place 29 last year all the way up
to the top ten spot this year
gb.inxpress.com

The InXpress franchise is a global network

with over 350 franchisees which offer SMEs
express, freight and mail services through worldclass carriers its customers know and trust. The
franchise opportunity gives individuals with business or
management experience, the platform to develop their
existing skills to build a scalable and flexible operation with
high earning potential.
InXpress is the largest franchise-based international courier
services provider in the world. Founded in 1999 and with

annual system revenues in excess
of $145m in 2017, the company
has a long history in managing
successful businesses around
the world. This, combined with
the facilities and know-how to
train and support franchisees
in running a sales and business
management franchise are only
some of the reasons why InXpress
jumped from place 29 in 2018 to
the top ten position in the Elite
Franchise 100 list this year.
With its global headquarters
in Manchester, the multi-award
winning business is also located in
14 countries and shows no sign of
standing still.
The brand is a respected
partner to global carriers. There
is a growing demand for courier
services across the globe and as

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a large and respected partner
to world-class carriers, InXpress
can secure preferential rates
for customers which they
otherwise wouldn’t have access
to. InXpress also prides itself
on providing market-leading
transportation solutions through
its next generation online
shipping platform – Webship
– which is continually being
updated and enhanced to
meet the 21st century needs of
shipping customers.
InXpress franchisees find SME
customers and provide bestin-class customer service in the
courier services industry.
The typical InXpress franchisee
is sales-minded with an aptitude
for business who enjoys selling
and marketing their services.

The InXpress system provides its
franchisees with the foundations
for a successful business,
including low overheads, high
earning potential, access to a
fully integrated system and all the
training and support needed to
help their business flourish.
The franchise model is
particularly well-suited for
sales-minded, driven and
enthusiastic franchisees. This
business opportunity is scalable
which means prospective
franchisees can choose to make
a comfortable living or continue
growing the business to achieve
their goals and dreams.
Whatever path they wish to
take, InXpress can give them the
freedom they’ve been looking
for. The InXpress franchising

opportunity is low investment,
high-yielding, recession-resistant,
scalable and flexible. Additionally
it’s based on proven trade and
business models.
The target market for the
franchisees are businesses
that spend between £250 and
£5,000 per month on shipping.
Looking at its current growth
rate, it’s sure to achieve more
success in the coming years.

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09
Driver Hire
established
1983

Investment
level
£35,000+
Number of
franchises
92
Sector
Recruitment

Having cruised into business over
three decades ago doesn’t seem
to have slowed down Driver Hire,
as its tour down the open road
has seen it secure a top ten place
in the Elite Franchise 100
driverhirefranchise.co.uk

Established in 1983, this award-winning

franchise, has a proven business model that
generates high returns. Looking at the numbers,
you can see what makes Driver Hire a leading
franchise brand in the UK. Average turnover in 2017/18 for
a single unit was £1,180,450 – over three times the national
franchise industry average of £378,000, according to the bfa
NatWest Franchise Survey from 2015. This delivers an annual
average net profit per unit of over £130,000.
Driver Hire is a five-time bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year
award-winner and has been a finalist 12 times over the last
13 years.

Franchisees own an office-based
management franchise operating
in a fast-paced environment
where quality service and sales
activity are paramount. Driver
Hire franchisees run their own
recruitment business, specialising
in the provision of temporary and
permanent drivers and logistics
staff. The Driver Hire network
supplies thousands of satisfied
customers each year, including
major logistics companies,
builders’ merchants, parcel
carriers and local authorities.
It’s a huge market, with the UK
recruitment industry worth an
estimated £32.2bn, according to
Recruitment & Confederation and
KPMG research.
Ed Pockney, Driver Hire’s
Uxbridge franchisee, comments
about the feel-good factor
that comes with working in
recruitment, “Whilst the financial
side is key, I just enjoy running
a Driver Hire franchise,” he says.
“We’ve taken people who were

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unemployed onto our books and
found them full-time jobs. That’s
an amazing feeling. I love hearing
a client say to me: ‘He’s perfect
for the job, can I keep him?’”
Driver Hire franchisees can also
access valuable additional income
streams, which include training
and online services products.
Members of the network reflect
a wide spectrum of working
backgrounds from which relevant
skills have been gained. Whilst
some have worked in either
recruitment or the transport
sector, others have run their
own business, worked as
accountants, in education, IT,
retail and even banking. To be
successful it’s important that
budding franchisees are highly
self-motivated and ambitious with
a very positive outlook and a cando attitude.
Kathy Wylie had worked in
property development and retail
banking before buying Driver
Hire Derby.

“I researched several franchising
opportunities before settling on
Driver Hire,” says Wylie. “I first
came across them at the NEC
Franchise Exhibition in October
2016. I attended a presentation by
one of their franchisees, which was
inspirational. I liked the business
model and the back-up systems
and support offered by a Driver
Hire franchise are almost unrivalled
and give me every opportunity to
grow a successful business.”
Driver Hire’s fully supported initial
six-week training programme sets
franchisees up for success.
Once the franchisee has opened
for business or taken over an
existing franchise, training
continues in the form of the
franchise support programme,
which can deliver up to six months
of further support and training in
the franchisee’s office.
Support is also available from
specialist teams at the Driver
Hire head office, including an
area development manager,

national accounts, HR, marketing
and IT. Peer-to-peer support
is just as valuable and Driver
Hire encourages and facilitates
positive working relationships
between franchisees. This is
achieved through regular regional
meetings, an annual conference
and its online forum.
Roy McLellan, the Driver Hire
franchisee for Dundee, said:
“I’d never really considered
the franchise option but
once I looked at Driver Hire it
changed my mind. Driver Hire
is very professional, has firstrate business processes and
franchisees enjoy great backing
to ensure we are successful.”

Subway’s recipe for
success is its simplicity
and extensive
franchisee support
wooed the Elite
Franchise 100 judges
www.subwayfranchisng.com

In 1965, when Fred DeLuca

borrowed $1,000 from friend Peter
Buck to open a sandwich shop to
help pay his college fees, never did
he dream it would be the first of the more than
43,000 stores Subway has today.
Its franchise story began when De Luca and
Buck noticed the popularity of the submarine
sandwich and aimed to open 32 stores within
ten years. Realising they couldn’t meet their
target alone, they researched the market and
discovered the best way to reach their goal was
to expand Subway as a franchise, giving others
the chance to own their own part of the brand.
The first Subway franchise opened in the US in
1974 and the first UK store opened in Brighton
in 1996. Since then the Subway store count has
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grown to over 2,500 in the UK
and Ireland.
Subway stores have come a
long way over the 50 years too.
In 2017, Subway introduced a
new Fresh Forward store design,
offering guests an enhanced
and modern Subway experience
with clean lines and customerfocused touches, such as digital
menu boards, special displays for
cookies, bread baked in store daily
and freshly cut vegetables.
To help enthusiastic, driven and
ambitious entrepreneurial people
achieve their dreams of becoming
their own boss, Subway offers
continued support along the
journey for franchisees, whether
they’re opening their first or tenth
Subway franchise.
All new Subway franchisees are
required to attend a two-week
training course at Subway’s UK
and Ireland support centre in
Cambridge before launching their
own store. During this training
they learn all they need to know
about operating a Subway store
and running their own business. In
addition, prospective franchisees
are required to complete 40
hours of in-store training to put
their learning into practice. On
completion of this training, a
Subway franchisee is equipped
to confidently take on all that a
Subway franchise involves.
Subway franchisees work for
themselves, within their local
communities but within a tried-

and-tested framework, with worldclass training and support. There
are 20 business development
offices in the UK and Ireland and
its team of business development
agents are on hand to assist
and mentor all franchisees with
site selection, leasing, design,
construction, hands-on training,
purchasing, operations, advertising
and local store marketing, as well
as providing ongoing support after
they’ve opened their store.
The Subway concept is – and
always has been – to keep
franchisee investment low, the
operation simple and to offer
customers fresh, great tasting
food. There is no need for grills
or fryers and because of the
simplicity of the operation, there’s
an adaptable approach to the
physical layout of the stores.
A Subway franchise is hugely

rewarding – that’s why over 70%
of new stores established are by
existing franchisees. Subway’s
franchisees work hard, particularly
in the early stages, to get their
stores up and running successfully
but a franchise can offer greater
flexibility, a better work-life
balance and the chance to be in
control of their own destiny.
As well as extensive training
and support, Subway franchisees
benefit from being part of a wellknown brand that has built a loyal
customer base.
No wonder the Elite Franchise
100 judges were impressed.

Caremark’s unique
offering and attention to
detail impressed the Elite
Franchise 100 judges,
allowing it to enter the
top ten
caremarkfranchises.com

Caremark’s founder and CEO Kevin Lewis

has been involved in the provision of care services
for over 30 years. After running a profitable
residential care home business in Brighton, Lewis
started providing domiciliary care services in 1993. He soon
realised that these services were needed nationally and saw
franchising as the best way of providing them to the highest
standards throughout the UK. So in 2001 he set up Carewatch
Care Services and within a short time his business grew to be
the UK market leader within the care sector which was later
acquired by a major PLC.
Lewis’ passion for care and his desire to see other people
become successful business owners led him to launch Caremark

in West Sussex in 2005. Today,
Caremark has an established
and thriving network of more
than 100 UK franchises, as well
as 12 overseas. Being a whollyindependent, UK-owned and
operated franchise allows for
strategic business decisions to
be made swiftly, benefitting the
network on all fronts.
The growing diversity of services
that Caremark is able to offer
means there are multiple revenue
streams open to franchisees: live in
care, respite care, companionship
and social activities, dementia
and Alzheimer’s care and staffing
supply for other care organisations.
Over the years, Caremark has
developed and refined a robust
system bolstered by strong policies
and procedures supporting
franchisees to deliver the highest
standard of care and support
whilst enabling them to grow a
sustainable business at the same
time. The model allows every
Caremark franchisee to focus on
developing their business while

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their care manager builds and
supervises a team of trusted care
and support workers. Adhering to
such a robust system also reduces
the risk for new business owners,
especially in the critical first year.
As a full member of the bfa,
Caremark values honesty and
transparency. Thanks to its strong
code of ethics placing care at
the centre of everything it does,
Caremark has built a respected
and reputable brand giving instant
credibility to new franchisees.
Not only is this credibility key
to building a client base, it
also means franchisees find it
comparatively easy to get funding
support thanks to Caremark’s
excellent partnerships with a
number of leading banks found on
the high street.
An additional plus is that
Caremark has the lowest
management service fees in the
sector, benefitting the franchisees
from the outset.
Once the franchise agreement is
signed, new franchisees prosper

from essential initial training as well
as outstanding ongoing support.
Provided both by the head office
team and a field team, franchisee
support includes, but is not limited
to, business development, training
and regulations, IT, PR, marketing
and roster management support.
Once a new business has been
registered by the Care Quality
Commission, new franchisees also
experience a straightforward setup
process which makes it easy for
franchisees to launch their new
businesses and start getting their
brand into the marketplace.
Caremark has also developed a
unique and frequently reviewed
e-learning model for homecare
staff, providing them with initial
and ongoing training.
As a blended learning system
it dovetails perfectly with the
classroom-based modules.
The franchisor’s proven business
opportunity continues to attract
people with a wide variety of
skills from different sectors
to its network. Indeed, having

a background in care isn’t
necessary either as full training
and ongoing support is provided
to each franchisee from day one
and continues throughout their
business life. What is required
is management experience,
a passion for the care sector
and a genuine desire to grow
a community-based service,
along with the drive to build a
sustainable business.
The common denominator with
all Caremark franchisees is their
desire to be in a business which
gives something back to society
and makes a difference to the
lives of the most vulnerable in
their area. It’s clear that this care
in the community wowed the
Elite Franchise 100 judges, given
Caremark’s seventh place in 2019’s
highly competitive ranking.

It seems as if Tutor Doctor has
learned a thing or two from its
2018 entry. Having outdone itself
with a slew of exciting initiatives,
it’s clear why the franchisor has
climbed the Elite Franchise 100
ranking this year, going from 18th
to the sixth place
www.tutordoctoropportunity.com/uk-main

Tutor Doctor is the fastest growing in-home

tutoring franchise in the world. Franchisees work
with families to thoroughly assess a child’s needs
and then carefully select the best-fit tutor based
on goals, personality and learning style. Gone are the days of
a tired old centre-based model, tutors now visit students at
home or work via its online platform, so they can learn from the
comfort of their own home at a time that suits them.
The company was established in North America in 2000 and
embarked on a path towards global domination in 2003. Since

then, launching in the UK proved
to be the biggest step in the
journey, as it has shown the fastest
growth in like-for-like sales and it
demonstrates no signs of stopping
anytime soon.
Tutor Doctor capitalised on
the UK’s private tuition market
as it tops the bill for the biggest
spender in Europe. The proportion
of pupils receiving private or home
tuition has increased by more than
30% over the last decade. This was
the franchisor’s time to shine. Now
with over 70 franchisees in its UK
network, they all get to enjoy an
exciting, scalable business whilst
making a positive impact in the
lives of children.
The model is low-risk with a
high ROI. Franchisees can work
from home, allowing for that extra
flexibility and all tutors operate on
a self-employed basis so there are

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no other worries such as office
rent or staff costs. Combine that
with the satisfaction of helping
the development of children and
it’s easy to see why the Tutor
Doctor family is expanding so
rapidly with franchisees, tutors
and students alike.
The franchisor really likes
to go above and beyond for
its franchise network. New
franchisees benefit from a jumpstart programme that equips
them with all the business knowhow to get the ball rolling, whilst
everyone is promised support for
life. Unsurprisingly, the franchisor
is incredibly proud to say that it’s
with new franchisees every single
step of the way as its support
structure is designed to inspire,
assist and motivate you to strive
for greatness.
Alongside the launch
programme, new franchisees
have regular meetings, webinars
and calls with field support
to keep up-to-date with their
progress. Not to mention,

franchisees can attend Tutor
Doctor’s annual global franchise
conference that brings together
the whole network for a chance to
learn, celebrate and plan for the
future – as well as the opportunity
to collaborate.
When its franchisees combine
their desire to truly make a
difference with Tutor Doctor’s
world-class training and support
systems, something very special
happens. The company’s vision and
values resonate with all kinds of
people. Tutor Doctor is about more
than providing a great service, it’s
about building confidence, sharing
knowledge and empowering
generations of students.

Contrary to popular belief,
Tutor Doctor franchisees come
from all walks of life, not just the
education industry. In fact, 80%
of the network consists of highly
driven individuals that simply
have a passion for giving back to
their community and want their
own profitable business. It’s now
looking for motivated, peopleorientated business professionals
to join the journey towards
building a community of likeminded franchisees – who also
possess the ability to change the
trajectory of a child’s learning.
And the lucky successful
candidates can be proud to join
a business at the top of Elite
Franchise 100’s 2019 list.

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05

ActionCOACH
ESTABLISHED
2001
INVESTMENT
LEVEL
£69,000
NUMBER OF
FRANCHISES
200+
SECTOR
Business
services

Having already achieved impressive
results with its original concept,
ActionCOACH UK’s dedication to
not rest on its laurels and keep
innovating impressed the Elite
Franchise 100 judges
actioncoach.co.uk/overview

ActionCOACH is the world’s number one

business growth franchise, with 1,000 offices in
80 countries. In 2018, the franchisor sped through
another milestone, reaching 200 franchisees with
over 30 newbies joining the franchise in the fourth quarter, hot
on the back of an impressive sixth straight five-star Franchisee
Satisfaction Award as well as winning the UK’s Best Businessto-Business franchise at the Best Franchise Conference and
Awards for 2018. Ian Christelow, co-founder of ActionCOACH
UK, explains the introduction of the new ActionCOACH Team
Builder Model: “We’re proud of the personal support we provide
our franchisees and our challenge with the growth rate was
114

continuing that high-level support.
So, to continue to deliver one-toone professional development,
70 days of support a year in
an effective manner and meet
the challenge of satisfying the
unfulfilled need of business owners
for the services, we had to find a
different way.
“Our previous franchise model
was geared to our franchisees
being self-employed and even with
200 franchisees across the UK,
we had penetrated less than 1% of
the market for our services and
generated very little in the way of
brand awareness. The new Firm
Builder franchise changes that as
franchisees can now recruit an
uncapped number of fee earners
and the 90:10 revenue share in
their favour generates an unlimited
marketing budget to create way
more speaking opportunities, leads
and clients.”
The investment for an
ActionCOACH franchise is

ELITE FRANCHISE 100

£69,000 and the minimum
performance expected is for
you to build your monthly net
revenue to £75,000 gradually by
year ten. This is something three
UK franchisees have achieved
through just their own personal
clients. However, new franchisees
will probably choose to build their
revenue with the help of employee
business coaches, who the
franchisor trains for the franchisee
for just £6,000 per franchisee.
New ActionCOACH franchisees
will be invited into a world of
knowledge and experience. They
and their team will receive worldclass training with global, national
and local support every step of the
way and have access to over 3,500
strategies and tactics guaranteed
to make businesses successful,
including their own.
According to franchisees,
however, the biggest returns are
the personal “thank you” they
receive from clients. What’s more,

the recognition ActionCOACH
franchisees get for the difference
they make in their local economy is
also a massive bonus, as business
growth fuels more jobs, time,
security and financial freedom
for families. The franchisor
understands kids spell “love” as
T.I.M.E., so becoming the key
driver in making that happen for
their franchisees’ local business
communities is priceless.
Franchisees and their employees
will work with business owners,
helping them in several areas
including teaching them how to
increase their profits, develop
powerful systems and build a
strong team. The results aren’t only
a more profitable and sustainable
business but also a dramatically
improved life for the client, making
it a fantastically rewarding and
fulfilling experience for anyone
who invests in the ActionCOACH
franchise.
“We’re on track to award all

remaining territories by the end of
2020 to people who have proven
team-building and leadership
skills, an investment mindset and
a personality that attracts talent,”
says Christelow. “In return, the
level of support for our franchisees
will only increase. We now offer
free one-to-one mentoring from
our team of master coaches to our
firm builders for as long as they
are partners.”
With initiatives like these, it’s
no secret why the judges were
so impressed that ActionCOACH
climbed the ranks in the Elite
Franchise 100 list, from eighth to
fifth place.

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ELITE FRANCHISE 100

04

Snap-on Tools
established
1920

With more than 50 years’ experience of the British
market, a huge network and a truly impressive
support package has earned this franchisor a top
spot on the Elite Franchise 100 2019 list

Investment
level
£24,143
Number of
franchises
430+
Sector
Automotive

snaponfranchise.co.uk

Snap-on is the world’s number one

professional tool brand. It’s the leading global
manufacturer and distributor of tools for the
professional technician. That’s because it sells
the most sought-after tools in the industry and delivers
outstanding customer service across the country.
Established almost 100 years ago, Snap-on Tools has
been operating in the UK since 1965. Today it has over 430
franchisees across the UK and Ireland who own and run their
own iconic showroom on wheels. Unlike many franchisors,
with Snap-on Tools, there are no royalties or management
fees to pay and franchisees keep 100% of their profits. On

average, franchisees’ sales to their
customers are in excess of £6,000
per week.
Boasting a support staff ratio of
2:1, the franchisor prides itself on
the support it’s offering franchisees.
For instance, after a week in Dallas
and further training at the UK
head office, franchisees undertake
an intensive, six-month launch
programme. A combination of
four week’s of one-to-one training

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followed by 31 days of on-van
support over the next five months
means franchisees receive a
whopping 51 contact days in the
first six months.
On completion of the launch
programme, a franchise
performance team assists
franchisees for life. Moreover,
150 head office staff members
are dedicated to supporting
the franchisees in all aspects of
their business – from sales and
marketing to product, IT and
finance. The franchisor holds
monthly and quarterly franchisee
forums, two annual conferences
and a legendary tool show. Snapon Tools also has a national
franchisee advisory council and
dedicated head office support line.
Most franchisees have little or
no marketing experience. In fact,
many say a big part of joining
Snap-on Tools is to benefit from
its solid marketing support system.
It won the Franchise Marketing
Awards in 2017 and was a finalist
again in 2018 for going the extra
mile to support the network.
As well as being award-winning,
Snap-on Tools is one of the only
franchisors in the UK able to offer
franchisees a funding option
that doesn’t involve the banks.
Fully accredited and government
approved, Snap-on Finance is
the franchisor’s in-house bank.
Through this dedicated finance

house, it’s able
to offer business
loans to successful
candidates in
order to fund the
purchase of
their franchise.
Someone who
knows exactly what
can be achieved
through hard work
and following the
model is James
Rygor. In 2017, he
was shortlisted
as a finalist for the bfa HSBC
Franchisee of the Year Award at
the tender age of just 28.
A former mechanic, Rygor joined
the network having witnessed the
success of his local Snap-on Tools
franchisee. He was certain he could
not only replicate that success but
surpass it. After just one year in
business, Rygor ranked fourth in
the country for sales, averaging
over £11,000 per week.
“There are so many positives to
being with Snap-on that you don’t
get if you’re working for someone
else,” Rygor says. “The products for
a start. Then there’s the support,
the knowledge and being part of a
network that encourages you.
On a day-to-day basis, you
meet so many different types of
people – you can have a laugh and
genuinely enjoy the work. I think
that’s pretty special.” Whether

franchisees want to be a one-van
business or develop a multivan, multi-territory operation,
Snap-on offers all the support
and guidance needed to achieve
their goals.
“At Snap-on, there’s no such
thing as a man in a van – when
franchisees join us, they become
part of a team,” says Lisa Law,
national franchise manager at
Snap-on Tools. “Everyone has
different goals – to be their own
boss, spend more time with their
family, build a business to pass
on to their children or even as a
pension provision. Whatever the
end-game, we’re committed to
their success. At Snap-on, our
motto is ‘work for yourself but
never by yourself.’”

McDonald’s UK and Ireland
has enjoyed another recordbreaking year in 2018, which
has secured bronze in the
Elite Franchise 100 2019 list
McDonald’s.co.uk/franchising

Its golden arches are famed around the

world and in October 2018, McDonald’s UK and
Ireland celebrated the 50th consecutive quarter of
sales growth and is nearing the end of the rollout
of its Experience of the Future (EotF) programme – a £650m
investment in its restaurants.
EotF has been the most significant image refresh British and
Irish McDonald’s restaurants have seen. This included changing
the kitchen platforms to allow for innovation and customisation,
including offering the Signature Collection, installing digital
order kiosks, tablets and interactive play tables, catering for
McDelivery and developing the MyMcDonald’s app. While EotF

may be near conclusion, this is
just the start – the innovation and
investment continues.
Following the launch of the
company’s McDelivery service
in collaboration with UberEATS,
McDonald’s has successfully rolled
out McDelivery to over 700 stores
and it has been extremely well
received by customers looking for
another feeding fix to their door.
Whilst McDonald’s is always
developing its product range, it
also takes time to recognise old
favourites. This year the restaurant
celebrated 50 years of the Big
Mac. The promotion included a
Mac Jr, the Big Mac and the Grand
Big Mac.
All of this success wouldn’t be
possible without its franchisees.
A decade ago, only 35% of the
McDonald’s UK and Ireland
network was franchised – today
that number has more than
doubled to over 80%. There are

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now more than 190 franchisees,
who operate over 1,200
restaurants between them.
McDonald’s is actively looking
for prospective franchisees
across the UK and Ireland and has
ambitious opening plans in the
coming years.
Becoming a McDonald’s
franchisee is a great opportunity
for many to start their own
business, with the support of a
larger, established organisation.
Franchisees will have access to
tried-and-tested McDonald’s
methods, its research and
development functions and its
supply chain, which works with
more than 23,000 UK and Irish
farmers to produce many of
the ingredients which go into
its menu. Most importantly,
franchisees will have the support
and training that a standalone
business owner may not.
There are three interview stages
to the McDonald’s franchisee
recruitment process and if
successful, applicants will be
invited to participate in the
franchisee training programme.
This involves restaurant
training for a minimum of 16
weeks, followed by a business
immersion and handover
process. McDonald’s has recently
introduced an educational bursary
to support applicants during
this time. They receive extensive
training on the business model
to ensure they know every detail
about what they’re buying into.
McDonald’s franchisees come
from a variety of different
backgrounds and, while they
don’t need experience in the food
industry, it’s important they have
a passion for the business and a
personable, motivating approach
to be able to lead their team from
the front. McDonald’s franchisees
are hands-on operators who are
proud to be employers of such
diverse workforces.
A McDonald’s restaurant has, on
average, over 100 employees and
the chain is looking for people
who are able to connect with
people at all levels within that

organisation. Although this is a
franchisee’s business, they won’t
be alone – each franchisee has
access to a McDonald’s franchisee
consultant. The consultants are
there to support franchisees
and offer guidance to optimise
sales and profitability while
keeping the standards high. They
have, on average, over 23 years’
experience with the McDonald’s
system. In 2017, the franchisor was
recognised for the aid it provided
franchisees, winning the Franchise
Support award at the bfa HSBC
Franchise Awards.
In 2018, McDonald’s was
again recognised by the bfa,
winning the Franchisor of the
Year gold award – the most
established and prestigious award
in the UK franchise sector.

Many people often assume
they cannot afford a franchise,
however, the minimum investment
for a McDonald’s franchise is only
£110,000. The typical payment
needed to obtain the right to run
a restaurant in 2018 was between
£350,000 and £1,850,000.
McDonald’s will require potential
franchisees to provide 25% of this
cost in unencumbered funds and
the remaining 75% can be funded
by a bank loan. The incredible
amount of franchisee support saw
the franchisor claim the third spot
in the Elite Franchise 100 list.

Having launched its first franchised
fitness club in 2003, énergie Fitness
has seen the fitness industry evolve
and grow over the last 15 years,
consistently refining its franchise
model to stay ahead of the curve and
the Elite Franchise 100 competition
energiefranchise.com

With the opening of a brand-new

headquarters and national training centre earlier
this year and expanding UK-based and international
franchise support teams, énergie Fitness is firmly
putting the needs of its franchisees centre-stage.
As the longest established UK-based fitness franchisor with
a 15-year track record of success, énergie knows what it takes
to succeed in the fast-growing and dynamic health and fitness
sector. Providing comprehensive franchise support and a robust
training framework has always been one of the hallmarks of the
énergie franchise package, it’s the very reason franchisees don’t
need previous health and fitness experience to be a success.

An additional highlight of the
énergie franchise model is the
lifestyle opportunity franchisees
are presented with. Owning a gym
franchise allows an increased level
of flexibility in the form of a staff
team who deliver the service on
the ground, whilst a club manager
can operate the business and allow
the franchisee to focus taking their
club’s success to the next level
and achieve the work-life balance
they’ve always dreamed of.
With an experienced team of
operators on-hand, énergie Fitness
franchisees get support, help,
advice and assistance throughout
their franchise journey. From
initial support to help finding
and securing the right site and
guidance with business planning
through to a 12-step franchisee
training journey, everything is
in place to provide franchisees
with the tools needed for
success. Once in business and

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operating their gym, regional
operations meetings and business
performance monitoring help to
ensure franchisees stay on track to
achieve their business goals.
Fitness franchising has become
big business and it’s the low-cost
market that’s taking the industry
by storm. This year, 38% of the
industry and 3.7% of the UK
population are now represented
by the low-cost sector.
Fitting perfectly into the lowcost fitness franchise market
with its cost-effective club model
and affordable membership
offer, énergie Fitness is the only
fitness franchisor to operate
exclusively in this sector of the
market, experiencing first-hand
how this new direction for fitness
encourages a surge in investors.
Recognised for its approach
to innovation, énergie Fitness
continues to sit at the forefront
in fitness franchising, adapting

to meet the increasing demands
of gym-goers. As part of a global
brand refresh, last year énergie
introduced a new signature
training concept called thé YARD
Club Edition into énergie Fitness
gyms. thé YARD Club Edition
classes have been built perfectly to
offer a style of workout that won’t
be found in other large budget or
24-hour gyms. This development
has allowed énergie to bring a
boutique-style experience which
has seen such high demand across
the UK directly into its franchised
locations to offer an all-inclusive
health and fitness package.
The introduction of thé YARD
is just one component of a new
membership offer that truly drives
énergie’s differentiation in the
health and fitness market. A lowcost classic gym membership offer
has been retained, providing a
competitive, affordable and great
value membership offer which has

been supplemented by a WOW!
membership deal, offering an array
of additional membership benefits
for an additional monthly fee. The
result is that 35% of members have
opted for the WOW! membership,
further driving differentiation
in the market and providing
franchisees with an additional
revenue stream allowing them
to occupy a unique space in the
high-service, low-cost sector of
the market.

Not only is Home Instead Senior
Care’s history full of compassionate
stories but its continous
commitment to care and franchising
gained it the top spot in the Elite
Franchise 100 list for the second year
homeinstead.co.uk/franchise

Home Instead Senior Care was founded in

1994 in the US by Paul and Lori Hogan. It entered
the UK market in 2005 when husband and wife,
Trevor and Sam Brocklebank purchased the UK
master franchise from the American founders.
Back then there wasn’t a national company offering nonmedical, companionship-based homecare and in setting up
the UK franchise, Home Instead created a new market for
homecare based on a private-pay model. What was available
at that time was a one-size fits all social care system funded by

local authorities – a system based
around a basic check-list: getting
the clients out of bed, assisting
with washing, bathing and dressing
and providing support with meals.
That all changed with the arrival
of the franchisor. Today, care
is delivered through a network
of 194 franchisees with Home
Instead’s franchise model. While a
national office sets the standard
and puts systems and processes
in place, ultimately the care is
delivered locally.
Services include companionship,
light housekeeping, accompanying
people to hobbies and
appointments and personal care.
These translate into an extremely
varied offer as the client and their
family truly dictate what they
need and, more importantly, what
they want.
This allows clients to remain
living independently in their own

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homes, where they feel most
comfortable. No other care
company specialises in care of
the elderly and this gives Home
Instead a clear focus.
It informs everything the
franchise does – from the
recruitment and training of
caregivers and the leadership and
development programmes for
franchisees, to thought leadership
and marketing campaigns
and the model developed for
franchisees to engage with their
local community.
Home Instead is unique in
many ways. Firstly, there’s great
continuity of clients receiving
care from a familiar person
whom they have been matched
with based on shared interests.
Secondly, the franchise offers a
minimum care visit of an hour.
Thirdly, the carers needn’t wear
any uniform as they’re seen as

a barrier. Fourth, the carers and
clients develop the care packages
together so they are bespoke to
the client’s needs. And finally, the
franchise offers clients an hour’s
visit once a month or a one hour
visit three times a day.
In 2016, the Brocklebanks were
starting to look at the future of the
UK business and how their vision
for the brand could grow and live
on in the years to come. The UK
became such a significant market
for Home Instead, as it was the
company’s largest non-US market
so when Paul and Lori Hogan
learned there was the opportunity
to re-acquire the UK business, they
jumped at it.
Today, the UK operation is
widely recognised as the leading
homecare franchise business with
more outstanding ratings from the
care sector’s regulatory body, the
Care Quality Commission, than any

other homecare provider. Home
Instead has been also named the
number one most recommended
homecare company in the
Homecare Awards 2018. These
awards are based on independent
reviews by clients, their friends
and family.
The company’s mission is to
become the most admired care
company in the UK by changing
the face of ageing. And being
given the gold in the Elite
Franchise 100 for a second time
proves the franchisor is on its way.

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I CREATED A
BUSINESS FOR MYSELF
NOT BY MYSELF.
I’M A FRANCHISEE.
THIS IS MY MCDONALD’S.

‘Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to build my
own business. Having worked in the technology sector
for over a decade, I knew what it took to manage large teams
and how to be commercial – this experience set me up
perfectly for becoming a franchisee.’
Reema, Franchisee in North London

I DIDN’T
START-UP.
I BUILT UP.
I’M A FRANCHISEE.
THIS IS MY MCDONALD’S.
‘Building a business is something that I’ve always wanted to
do. Working in the property industry was a great grounding for
learning what makes a business tick, but it was the level of
support I get as a McDonald’s Franchisee that really reassured
me to change career – I am running my own business,
and I’ve been supported by a global brand the entire way.’
Paddy, Franchisee in Northern Ireland